About Koloqwa
A community dictionary for the language Liberians actually speak — and a living archive for the 16 indigenous languages that have always been here.
Liberian Vernacular
The main dictionary documents the colloquial English that Liberians speak every day — the words born on the streets of Monrovia, in the markets, in the music, and in everyday conversation.
“How the body?”, “soft life”, “paining me”, “seh wah?” — these are the words Koloqwa was built to document.
16 Tribal Languages
A dedicated section preserves the indigenous languages of Liberia's 16 ethnic groups — Kpelle, Bassa, Grebo, Vai, Kru, Mandingo, and more. Each with its own vocabulary, oral tradition, and cultural identity.
Including the Vai syllabary — one of the few writing systems independently invented in all of human history.
Our Mission
Languages die when they stop being written down. Koloqwa exists to make sure Liberian speech — both the everyday vernacular and the deep-rooted indigenous languages — has a permanent, searchable, accessible digital home.
This is not a project built by outsiders looking in. Every word in the dictionary is submitted by community members, reviewed for accuracy, and published with cultural context to ensure authenticity.
How It Works
Community submits
Anyone can submit a word or phrase — with a definition, example sentence, and cultural context.
Reviewed for accuracy
Each submission is reviewed by community administrators who verify the meaning and context before publishing.
Published & searchable
Approved entries join the living dictionary — free to search, share, and explore by anyone, anywhere.
Start Exploring
Search Liberian vernacular or explore the tribal languages section.