Kru

Kru

Group of peoples of Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire, including the Bassa, Krahn, Grebo, Klao (Kru), Bakwe, and Bete. They speak Kru languages of the Niger-Congo family and number some 2.5 million. Members of Kru ethnic groups, especially Klao, Grebo, and Bassa, are known as stevedores and fishermen all along the west coast of Africa and have established colonies in most ports from Dakar, Seneg., to Douala, Camer., the largest being in Monrovia, Liberia.

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Kru 

Krou, Krao, Krumen; a group of related peoples inhabiting the coastal region of Liberia (approximately 1 million people; 1970, estimate) and the western areas of the Ivory Coast (approximately 1 million people).

The Kru consist of three subgroups—the Bakwe, Grebo, and Kran; Gere, Bassa, and Sikon; and Bete. They speak Kru languages. Most Kru preserve their traditional beliefs (ancestor worship and worship of nature spirits), although some are Christians (Protestants). The Kru peoples are gradually merging into one people. Their chief occupations are farming and, on the coast, fishing. Some Kru work on plantations owned by American companies.

REFERENCES

Narody Afriki. Moscow, 1954.
Schwab, G. Tribes of the Liberian Hinterland. Cambridge, 1947.

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Kru 

languages of the Kru peoples along the coast of Liberia and in the western regions of the Ivory Coast.

The number of speakers of Kru is approximately 2 million (1970, estimate). Kru is made up of three subgroups—Bakwe, Grebo, and Kran; Gere, Basa, and Sikon; and Bete. All of the Kru languages can be regarded as dialects of one language, because of their similarity in vocabulary and grammatical structure. Most roots are monosyllabic; word formation is accomplished by prefixation, suffixation, and stem reduplication (full and partial). The Kru languages have a well-developed tonal system. The Kru languages are sometimes grouped with the Guinean languages (Kwa).

REFERENCES

Westermann, D., and M. A. Bryan. The Languages of West Africa, new edition. London, 1970.
Hintze, U. Bibliographie der Kwa-Sprachen und der Sprachen der Togo-Restvølker. Berlin, 1959.