Language Information

Kpelle is the most important language of Liberia, on the west coast of Africa. It is spoken by about 750,000 people, or one-third of the total population. Kpelle belongs to the Mande branch of the Niger-Congo family of languages.

Family: Niger-Congo
Subgroup: Western Sudanic
Branch: Mande

Writing Sample

Translation

Some stand and look while others do
Then come and say what ought to be,
To them the world is never right
For all is wrong that they can see.

They never see the good in things
That you and I would like to see
They seem to think whatever they say
Is just the thing that ought to be.

BAI T. MOORE, Some People