Kpelle (known as Kpelle in Liberia and as Guerze in the Republic of Guinea) belongs to the southwestern branch of Mande, Niger-Congo.
UBS (1982) notes 299,000 speakers in Liberia. Gnielinski (1972) gives a figure of 500,000. Voegelin and Voegelin (1977) estimate between 250,000 and 500,000 speakers in southern Guinea. Vanderaa (1991; cited in Grimes 1996) suggests 308,000 speakers of Guerze in Guinea and 487,400 speakers of Kpelle in Liberia.
Kpelle is a local language in Guinea and Liberia. It is broadcast in Liberia.
Although various orthographies exist, no authorized standard currently exists. However, the orthography developed in the Welmers (1955) materials is, according to Welmers, "pretty much the only orthography known to native speakers."
One set of materials is sufficient.
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