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{{Infobox language
|name=Afrihili
|nativename=El-Afrihili
|creator=K. A. Kumi Attobrah
|created=1970
|setting=intended for use throughout [[w:Africa|Africa]]
|familycolor = Constructed language
|fam2=[[w:international auxiliary language|international auxiliary]]
|fam3=[[w:zonal constructed language|zonal]]
|posteriori=[[a posteriori language]], derived primarily from [[Swahili language|Swahili]] and [[Akan language|Akan]]
|iso2=afh
|iso3=afh
|linglist=afh
|glotto=afri1275
|notice=IPA
}}

'''Afrihili''' (''Ni Afrihili Oluga'' 'the Afrihili language') is a [[constructed language]] designed in 1970 by Ghanaian historian K. A. Kumi Attobrah (Kumi Atɔbra) to be used as a [[lingua franca]] in all of [[Africa]]. The name of the language is a combination of ''Africa'' and ''[[Swahili language|Swahili]]''.  The author, a native of [[Akrokerri]] (Akrokɛri) in [[Ghana]], originally conceived of the idea in 1967 while on a sea voyage from [[Dover]] to [[Calais]].  His intention was that "it would promote unity and understanding among the different peoples of the continent, reduce costs in printing due to translations and promote trade".  It is meant to be easy for Africans to learn.

==Source languages==
Afrihili draws its [[phonology]], [[morphology (linguistics)|morphology]] and [[syntax]] from various [[African languages]], particularly [[Swahili language|Swahili]] and [[Akan language|Akan]] (Attobrah's native language). The [[lexicon]] covers various African languages, as well as words from many other sources "so Africanized that they do not appear foreign", although no specific etymologies are indicated by the author. However, the [[semantics]] is quite English, with many [[calque]]s of English expressions, perhaps due to the strong English influence on written Swahili and Akan. For example, ''mu'' is 'in', ''to'' is 'to', and ''muto'' is 'into'; similarly, ''kupitia'' is 'through' (as in 'through this remedy'), ''paasa'' is 'out' (as in to go outside), and ''kupitia-paasa'' is 'throughout'—at least in the original, 1970 version of the language.

==Script and pronunciation==
The language uses the [[Latin alphabet]] with the addition of two vowel letters, {{angle bracket|Ɛ ɛ}} and {{angle bracket|Ɔ ɔ}}, which have their values in Ghanaian languages and the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]], {{IPAblink|ɛ}} and {{IPAblink|ɔ}}. Foreign names are spelled out phonetically rather than in the original orthography, so for example 'Hastings' is spelled ''Hestins''. There are two [[digraph (orthography)|digraphs]], {{angle bracket|ch}} and {{angle bracket|sh}}, which have their English and Swahili values, {{IPAblink|tʃ}} and {{IPAblink|ʃ}}. ''J'' and ''y'' also have their English and Swahili values, {{IPAblink|dʒ}} and {{IPAblink|j}}. ''Ng'' is not a digraph, but pronounced as in English ''finger'', {{IPA|[ŋɡ]}}.

There is no [[tone (linguistics)|tone]]. Stress is on the second-last vowel. Exclamation marks come at the beginning of a clause, which ends in a comma or period as normal; question marks come at the end.

==Grammar==
The [[grammar]] is similar to Swahili, but in addition there is the 'vowel triangle', which is central to Afrihili inflection:

              a
            /   \
           u     e           ɛ
          /       \          
         ɔ __ o __ i

Many grammatical processes are accomplished by exchanging a vowel with its directional opposite on the triangle: ''a'' for ''o'', ''u'' for ''i'', ''e'' for ''ɔ'', and vice versa. For example, a verb can be made into an adjective by changing its final vowel in this manner: from ''pinu'' 'to determine' comes the adjective ''pini'' 'determinate'. ''Ɛ'' does not participate in these swaps, but is used in other situations (below).

All nouns, and only nouns and adjectives modifying nouns, begin with a vowel. In the singular this will be different from the final vowel of the word; the plural is formed by making it the same as the final vowel. For example, ''omulenzi'' 'boy' becomes ''imulenzi'' 'boys'; similarly, {{lang|afh|oluga}} is 'language' and ''aluga'' 'languages'.

Nouns are derived from verbs or adjectives by prefixing the opposite of the final vowel, according to the triangle above. So, from ''pinu'' 'to determine' comes the noun {{lang|afh|ipinu}} 'determination'. If all the vowels in the verb or adjective are the same, as in ''mono'' 'to disgrace' and ''kana'' 'one', then the neutral vowels ''ɛ-'' is used: ''ɛmono'' 'a disgrace', ''ɛkana'' 'unity'.

Verbal nouns ([[gerund]]s) are formed from the [[infinitive]] in ''-de'',<ref>The ''-de'' form is used for [[subordinate clause|subordinate]] clauses, as in ''Kre tumilɔ dinga-de, nuliwate'' 'it being impossible to continue, we came back' (''kre'' 'it being', ''wa'' 'to come').</ref> and so always begin with ''ɔ-'' : ''soma'' 'reads', ''somade'' 'to read', ''ɔsomade yɛ papa'' 'reading is good'. (Compare ''ɔkaratide'' 'harvesting' and {{lang|afh|ukarati}} 'a harvest', from ''karati'' 'to harvest'.)

In the opposite direction, nouns drop their initial vowels to form verbs, and with the appropriate change in final vowel, adjectives. So, from ''etogo'' 'a house' comes ''togo'' (or ''togode'') 'to house', and from ''umeme'' 'electricity' comes ''memɔ'' 'electric'.

[[Participle]]s are formed with ''mɛ-'', further derived as nouns or adjectives (gerunds): ''mɛpini'' 'determinative', ''ɛmɛwako'' 'driver' (''wako'' to drive).

[[Verb phrase]]s are formed with [[tense–aspect–mood|tense]] prefixes, with the subject pronouns written together with the verb. (Subject pronouns are not used if there is a noun subject.) Objects, however, are written separately after the verb: From ''jira'' 'to wait for', '''''mi'''ngijira '''lε''''' 'I (''mi-'') would have waited for him (''lɛ'')'.

Pronouns include ''mi'' 'I', ''nɛ'' 'me and you', ''nɛu'' [[Clusivity|'us and you']], ''nu'' [[Clusivity|'we' (not you)]], ''wu'' 'you (thou)' ''ku'' 'you (ye)', ''lɛ'' 'he', ''ta'' 'she', ''yo'' 'it', ''fu'' 'they'. For possession, pronouns are prefixed on a noun, dropping their vowel: ''l'arafi'' 'his letter', ''w'agoji'' 'your money'.

Tense prefixes include ''li-'' (past), ''ta-'' (future), ''lii-'' (habitual past), ''taa-'' (habitual future), ''yɛɛ-'' (habitual present), ''re-'' (present continuous -ing), ''ri-'' (past continuous -ing), ''ngi-'' (conditional, would), ''nge-'' (subjunctive, may), and a perfect in ''lo-''. Simple present is not marked. ''U-'' forms [[relative clause]]s (who, which).

So, from ''du'' 'eat', ''lɛdu'' 'he eats', ''nɛtadu'' 'you & I will eat', ''fulidu'' 'they ate', ''miyɛɛdu ɛn zinga'' 'I eat in the morning (as a matter of habit)', {{lang|afh|miliidu ɛn zinga}} 'I would eat / used to eat in the morning', ''miredu'' 'I am eating', ''nuridu'' 'we were eating (when)', ''kama kungiwa, kungidu'' 'if y'all would come, you'd eat', ''ni omuntu lodu'' 'the man has eaten'.

'This' and 'that' are ''ki'' and ''ka'', which are pluralized with the suffix ''-nga'', giving ''kinga'' 'these' and ''kanga'' 'those'. They may occur before a noun, or afterward by copying the final syllable: 
:''Ki omulenzi, omulenzi kinzi'' 'this boy'
:''Ka omukama, omukama kama'' 'that king'
:''Imukazi kangazi'' 'those girls'

Some suffixes are full syllables, as ''-wi'' [[inchoative]] (to get or become): ''sana'' 'drink', ''sanawi'' 'get drunk'; ''furaha'' 'happy', ''furahawi'' 'be happy'. However, most have an [[echo vowel]], identical to the final vowel of the root, as in ''-bw-'' (passive): ''bona'' 'see', {{lang|afh|bonabwa}} 'be seen'; or ''-t-'' '-able': ''bonata'' 'visible', ''dutu'' 'edible'.

'Of' ([[partitive]]?) is either a suffix ''-n'' or a particle ''pe'', with opposite word order. ''Nun kisi'' or ''kisi pe nu'' 'some of us', ''imulenzin kisi'' or ''kisi pen imulenzi'' 'some of the boys' (the definite article ''ni'' is here reduced and suffixed to ''pe'', giving ''pen'').

When an adjective or numeral follows a noun, it takes the initial vowel of the noun as [[grammatical agreement]], as well as the suffix ''-n'':
:{{lang|afh|oluga ozurin na opapan}} 'a pleasant and good language'
:{{lang|afh|kana oluga, oluga okanan}} 'one language'

==Sample phrases==

:''Zuri lu'' – Good day (''alu'' 'a day')
:''Zuri zinga'' – Good morning
:''Zuri masa'' – Good afternoon
:''Zuri dani'' – Good evening
:''Zuri bali'' – Good night
:''Jo koni'' – Go at once
:''{{thinspace|!|Afuraho}}'' – Cheers!
:{{lang|afh|Sama papa obeka al dude}} – Find a good place to eat
:''Kama mingipewa l'arafi gaba milijo paasa, mingijira lε.'' – If I had received his letter before I went out, I would have waited for him.

:{{lang|afh|Kwaku na Akua mai atapiro atajirin wɛna liwa yide fu kusa. Ni atapiro atajirin mai imulezi ibarin wɛna yɛ f'amotsoala. Ni amotsoala yɛ arenobo kika Kwaku na Akua baitu fu duka yɛ ukuetu upapam tare.}}

:{{lang|afh|Ku atapiro mai afu okisiwa so nehi nesa bɛ, na ni imao no inta tabonadi you. Fumai arafi f'amotsoala tɔ okisiwa.}}

==Text==
The following text, from a 1971 newsletter, was clipped on its left margin. Missing words are in brackets.

{|
!Afrihili || English || glosses
|-
|''Dɛna wungida?''
|What would you have done?
|''da'' – to do
|-
|{{lang|afh|Koda ni amɛgenda ɛn arabiyado, kɛna rigenda to Afrilikrom, rifunda kɛna lɛriwako harakalo ma, ni ɛmɛwako lidinga wakode harakalo.}}
|Although the passengers in a lorry, which was travelling to Afrilikrom, were complaining that he was driving too fast, the driver continued to drive fast.
|''ni'' – the; ''genda'' – to travel; ''ɛn'' – in; ''arabiyado'' – a lorry/truck; ''kɛna'' – that, which; ''to'' – to; ''funda'' – to complain; ''wako'' – to drive; ''haraka'' – fast; ''ma'' – very? too; ''dinga'' – to continue
|
|-
|[?]{{lang|afh|rɛ lɛlundi ni ɛndɛmo mu, pɛna ni [arab]iyado luduri muto umuti ni uzo te.}}
|He had almost arrived in the town, when the lorry ran into a tree beside the road. 
|''lundi'' ? – arrive; ''ɛndɛmo'' – a town; ''mu'' – in; ''umuti'' – a tree; ''uzo'' – a road; ''te'' – beside
|-
|[?]{{lang|afh|amɛganda (earlier amɛgenda) bi lipewa apira na bi lifua. [Ni ɛ]mɛwako lipirabwa ko.}}
|Some of the passengers received wounds and some died. The driver was not hurt. 
|''bi'' – some, some or other; ''pira'' – to hurt/wound; ''fua'' – to die; ''ko'' – not
|-
|[?]{{lang|afh|uma rendeke tɛ adoncho tɛ ɛtaya, lɛliwa [na ?] eri ni arabiyado te na likukua, {{thinspace|!|W'agoji}} [kam]a wufuaseko. {{thinspace|!|W'agoji}} kama wufuaseko.}}
|Instead of ringing for an ambulance for help, he came and stood beside the lorry and shouted, "Your money, if you are not dead! Your money if you are not dead!"
|''tɛ'' – for; ''adoncho'' – an ambulance; ''taya'' – to help; ''wa'' – to come; ''kukua'' – to shout; ''agoji'' – money; ''kama'' – if; ''-se'' (unidentified)
|-
|''[Ka]na pe fu, ɛn reti yo lijika l'oliso na ''[?]''nya lɛlifuase.'' 
|One of the passengers, on hearing this, closed his eyes and pretended he was dead. 
|''kana'' – one; ''ti'' – to hear; ''yo'' – it; ''jika'' – to close; ''oliso'' – eyes; 
|-
|{{lang|afh|Dɛna wungida wuriyɛ ka omuntu}}[?]
|What would you have done if you were that man?
|''yɛ'' – to be; ''omuntu'' – a human
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* K. A. Kumi Attobrah (1970, 1973) ''Ni Afrihili Oluga. The African Continental Language''
* William S. Annis (2014) [http://fiatlingua.org/2014/04/ "Afrihili: An African Interlanguage"], ''Fiat Lingua'', April 2014

==External links==
*An Afrihili newsletter (1971 version) on Roger Blench's website.[http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Africa/General/Afrihili%20brochure.pdf] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20081011044605/http://www.rogerblench.info/Language%20data/Africa/General/Afrihili%20brochure.pdf archived])
* A summary of additional details of the verbal and derivational system, [http://lingweenie.org/conlang/afrihili/ Afrihili Notes]. ([https://www.webcitation.org/69UI3fJzT?url=http://lingweenie.org/conlang/afrihili/ archived])

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