Gen language explained

Gen
Nativename:Mina
States:Benin, Togo
Date:2019–2021
Ref:e26
Familycolor:Niger-Congo
Fam2:Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:Volta–Congo languages
Fam4:Kwa
Fam5:Gbe
Minority: Benin
Iso3:gej
Glotto:genn1243
Glottorefname:Gen

Gen (also called Gɛ̃, Gɛn gbe, Gebe, Guin, Mina, Mina-Gen, and Popo) is a Gbe language spoken in the southeast of Togo in the Maritime Region. Like the other Gbe languages, Gen is a tonal language.

History

The Gen-Mina originated from Accra and Elmina in Ghana. The Mina from Elmina migrated because of the Denkyira wars of aggression, while the Gen came over from Accra after their defeat in the Akwamu wars. The two groups intermingled with the indigenous Ewe, resulting in their Ewe dialect having words borrowed from Fanti, Ga-Adangbe and various European languages.

The Gen language is mutually intelligible with Ewe and is considered to be one of the many dialects of Ewe.

There were 476,000 Gen-speakers in Togo in 2019, and 144,000 in Benin in 2021.

Sources