Vai people

E725275

The Vai people are a Mande ethnic group of Liberia and Sierra Leone known for their indigenous Vai syllabary, one of the few native African writing systems.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Vai people canonical 13

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Mande language
Mande people
ethnic group
writing system
artForm mask making
textile weaving
wood carving
colonialHistory affected by Liberian state expansion in the 19th century
interacted with British colonial authorities in Sierra Leone
continent Africa
Africa
country Liberia
Sierra Leone
culturalArea Rice Coast
demographicConcentration Bomi County
Grand Cape Mount County
Pujehun District
ethnicGroupOf Liberia
Sierra Leone
historicalRegion Upper Guinea coast
linked to: Guinea Coast
initiationSociety Poro society
Sande society
language Vai language
linguisticFamily Mande languages
musicTradition call-and-response singing
drumming
neighboringPeoples Gola people
Kpelle people
Kru people
Mende people
notableFor early development of a native African writing system
indigenous Vai syllabary
oralTradition griots and storytellers
partOf Mande cultural sphere
region West Africa
West Africa
religion Christianity
Islam
traditional African religions
riteOfPassage initiation societies
socialOrganization clan-based structure
spokenBy Vai people
traditionalEconomy agriculture
crafts
trade
usesScript Latin alphabet
Vai syllabary
writingSystem Vai syllabary
writingSystemOf Vai language

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (13)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Bomi County hasEthnicGroup Vai people
Vai language spokenBy Vai people
subject linked to: Vai
Vai language hasEthnicGroup Vai people
subject linked to: Vai
Vai script usedBy Vai people
Sande society practicedBy Vai people
Vai syllabary developedBy Vai people
Vai syllabary primaryUsers Vai people
Gbarpolu County hasEthnicGroups Vai people
Vai language spokenBy Vai people
subject linked to: Vai people
Bushrod Island ethnicGroup Vai people