Oti-Volta languages

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July 16, 2026

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The Oti-Volta languages are a subgroup of the Gur languages, which are part of the larger Niger-Congo language family. These languages are spoken by approximately 20 million people across the savanna regions north of the forest belt, spanning parts of Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, and Benin.1

The Oti-Volta group itself contains about 25 languages. Prominent among these are Moore, spoken by around five million people in eastern Burkina Faso, and others such as Gurma, Gurenne, Dagbani (spoken in northern Ghana), and Dagaari. A notable characteristic of Gur languages, including those in the Oti-Volta group, is the presence of syllabic nasals and noun class systems.1

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Gur languages
…into two major subgroups, termed Oti-Volta (with some 25 languages in Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Burkina Faso) and Grusi (with a further 20 languages, some to the west and others to the east of the Oti-Volta group). The largest languages in the Oti-Volta group include Moore, the principal language of…
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…into two major subgroups, termed Oti-Volta (with some 25 languages in Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Burkina Faso) and Grusi (with a further 20 languages, some to the west and others to the east of the Oti-Volta group). The largest languages in the Oti-Volta group include Moore, the principal language of…
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