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West Teke language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
West Teke
Native toRepublic of Congo, Gabon
EthnicityTeke, Bongo Pygmies
Native speakers
120,000 (ca.2000)[1]
(some figures undated)
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
tyi – Tsaayi
lli – Laali
iyx – Yaa
tyx – Tyee (Kwe)
Glottologwest2969  West Kasai-Ngounie
B.73[2]

West Teke is a Bantu language spoken in the Republic of Congo and Gabon.

West Teke is a dialect continuum. The varieties are Tsaayi (Ge-Tsaya, Tyaye, Tsayi), Laali, Yaa (Yaka), and Tyee (Tee, Kwe). The dominant variety by far is Tsaayi.

Phonology

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Consonants

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Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Labio-
velar
Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ ŋ͡m
Plosive voiceless p t k k͡p
voiced b d ɡ
prenasal vl. ᵐp ⁿt ᵑk ᵑk͡p
prenasal vd. ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ ᵑɡ͡b
Affricate voiceless p͡f t͡s
voiced b͡v d͡z
prenasal vl. ᵐp͡f ⁿt͡s
prenasal vd. ᵐb͡v ⁿd͡z
Fricative f s ɣ h
Rhotic ɾ
Approximant (ɥ) l j w
  • Sounds /k͡p, ᵑk͡p, ᵑɡ͡b/ are sometimes pronounced as labialized sounds [kʷ, ᵑkʷ, ᵑɡʷ].
  • /ɡ/ when preceding /w/ or /j/, may labialize or palatalize as [ɡʷ, ɡʲ].
  • /s/ may often be pronounced as [ʃ] when before /u/ or /w/.
  • /j/ when preceding a /w/ or /u/, is pronounced as a labial-palatal [ɥ].
  • /t͡s, ⁿt͡s, d͡z, ⁿd͡z/ may also be pronounced as [t͡ʃ, ⁿt͡ʃ, d͡ʒ, ⁿd͡ʒ] when before /u/, /w/ or /j/.[3]

Vowels

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Front Central Back
Close i ĩ u ũ
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɛ̃ ɔ ɔ̃
Open a ã
  • Sounds /ɛ, ɔ/ may also be heard as more closed [e, o] in different positions.
  • Vowel length is also distinctive.

References

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  1. ^ Tsaayi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Laali at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Yaa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Tyee (Kwe) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ^ Ntsiba Ngolo, Edouard; Raharimanantsoa, Ruth (2015). Petit guide d’orthographique et de grammaire du Téké du sud-ouest. Brazzaville: SIL Congo.
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Dictionnaire Teke-Tyee