Misplaced Pages

Central Teke language

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Teke language of Congo ‹ The template Infobox language is being considered for merging. ›
Central Teke
Native toCongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Native speakers(45,000 Ngungwel cited 1988)
20,000 Boo (2000)
Language familyNiger–Congo?
Dialects
  • Ngungwel
  • Mpu (Mpumpu)
  • Boo (Eboo)
  • Ndzindziu
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
ngz – Ngungwel
ebo – Boo
nzu – Nzikou
Glottologngun1278
Guthrie codeB.72,74

Central Teke is a member of the Teke languages dialect continuum of the Congolese plateau. Central Teke dialects are Ngungwel and Mpu (Mpumpum), Boo (Boma, Eboocf. Boma language), and Nzikou (Njyunjyu/Ndzindziu). They are spoken in the Malebo Pool region of the Republic of Congo, with an unknown number of Boo speakers in DRC.

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive voiceless p t k
voiced b d ɡ
prenasal vl. ᵐp ⁿt ᵑk
prenasal vd. ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ
Affricate voiceless p͡f t͡s
voiced b͡v d͡z
prenasal vl. ᵐp͡f ⁿt͡s
prenasal vd. ᵐb͡v ⁿd͡z
Fricative f s ʃ h
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Lateral l
Approximant ɥ j w
  • /h/ is only heard in the Nzikou dialect.

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i ĩ u ũ
ɪ ɪ̃ ʊ ʊ̃
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɛ̃ ɔ ɔ̃
Open a ã
  • /u/ when preceding a palatal /j/ is heard as , and when preceding a /w/ is heard as .

References

  1. ^ Ngungwel at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
    Boo at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
    Nzikou at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. Hammarström (2015) Ethnologue 16/17/18th editions: a comprehensive review: online appendices
  4. Raharimanantsoa, Ruth (2012). Aspects of phonology in Eboo-Nzikou. Göteborgs Universitet.
Narrow Bantu languages (Zones A–B) (by Guthrie classification)
Zone A
A10
A20
A30
A40
A50
A60
A70
A80
A90
Zone B
B10
B20
B30
B40
B50
B60
B70
B80
  • The Guthrie classification is geographic and its groupings do not imply a relationship between the languages within them.
Narrow Bantu languages by Guthrie classification zone templates
Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones A–B)
Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones C–D)
Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones E–H)
Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones J–M)
Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones N–S)
Category: