About the Nawdm language

Nawdm belongs to the Gur branch of the Niger-Congo language family, specifically the Oti-Volta sub-group. Its closest relative is Yom, spoken by the Pila-Pila and Tanéka peoples of northern Benin. Like all Gur languages, Nawdm is tonal — the pitch on a syllable changes the meaning of the word entirely.

The Nawdba people have lived in the highlands of northern Togo for centuries, primarily in the cantons of Niamtougou, Koka, Baga, Ténéga, and Siou in the Doufelgou Prefecture. A significant community also lives in the Greater Accra Region and the Oti Region of Ghana.

The Nawdm dictionary on Language Roots Hub was built from reference material compiled by the Association to Preserve and Develop Nawdm (ASDN) with technical support from SIL International, then extended with English and French translations added entry by entry. It contains over 11,600 entries searchable in all three languages.