Makaa language

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Makaa
Native toCameroon
EthnicityMakaa
Native speakers
(80,000 cited 1987)[1]
Niger–Congo?
Dialects
  • Bebend
  • Mbwaanz
  • Sekunda
Language codes
ISO 639-3mcp
Glottologmaka1304
A.83[2]

Makaa (Maka), or South Makaa, is a Bantu language of Cameroon. It is not intelligible with the other language spoken by the Makaa people, North Makaa.

Varieties

[edit]

The central part of the Meka area consists of the three central dialects Bésáp, Bébánde and Mbwas. Byáp in the north and Békol in the south are more geographically peripheral dialects. Byáp and Asón should not be confused with Northern Maka.[3]

Meka covers essentially the entire northern part of Haut-Nyong department (Eastern Region). Bébánde covers the entire northern part of Abong-Mbang commune and also Bebeng commune. Mbwas covers most of the Doumé area (Mbouang and Doumatang communes), and Bésáp covers the north of Nguélémendouka.[3]

Byap occupies the eastern part of Diang commune and Bélabo commune (Lom-et-Djerem department, Eastern Region), west of Bertoua. It extends into the Central and Southern Regions in Nyong-et-Mfoumou (in Akonolinga and Endom communes) and Dja-et-Lobo (in Bengbis and Zoétélé communes) departments.[3]

There are 89,500 speakers.[3]

Phonology

[edit]

Consonants

[edit]
LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarLabial-
velar
Glottal
Plosivevoicelesstckkp
voicedbdɟɡ
prenasal vl.ᵐpⁿtᶮcᵑk
prenasal vd.ᵐbⁿdᶮɟᵑɡ
Nasalmnɲŋ
Fricativevoicelessfsʃh
voicedvzʒ
Laterall
Approximantjw

Vowels

[edit]
FrontCentralBack
Closeiɨu
Near-closeɪ
Close-mideəo, õ
Open-midɛ, ɛ̃
Opena
  • /o, õ/ may have allophones [ɔ, ɔ̃] which occur in free variation in many environments.[4]

Writing system

[edit]
Maka alphabet[5]
abcdeɛəfghiɨjklm
nnyŋopsshtuʉvwyzzh

Nasal vowels are indicated using the cedilla ‹ ɛ̧, ɔ̧ ›. Tones are indicated using diacritics:

  • the high tone with an acute accent;
  • the descending high-low tone with a circumflex accent;
  • the low-high rising tone with a caron;
  • low tone without accent.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Makaa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ^ a b c d Binam Bikoi, Charles, ed. (2012). Atlas linguistique du Cameroun (ALCAM) [Linguistic Atlas of Cameroon]. Atlas linguistique de l'Afrique centrale (ALAC) (in French). Vol. 1: Inventaire des langues. Yaoundé: CERDOTOLA. ISBN 9789956796069.
  4. ^ Heath, Teresa (2003). Makaa (A83). In Nurse, Derek and Philippson, Gérard (eds.), The Bantu languages: London & New York: Routledge. pp. 335–348.
  5. ^ Abong, Mbang (2007). "Leçons d'apprentissage de la langue mekaa" (PDF). SIL. p. 3.
    Makaa
    Native toCameroon
    EthnicityMakaa
    Native speakers
    (80,000 cited 1987)[1]
    Niger–Congo?
    Dialects
    • Bebend
    • Mbwaanz
    • Sekunda
    Language codes
    ISO 639-3mcp
    Glottologmaka1304
    A.83[2]

    Makaa (Maka), or South Makaa, is a Bantu language of Cameroon. It is not intelligible with the other language spoken by the Makaa people, North Makaa.

    Varieties

    The central part of the Meka area consists of the three central dialects Bésáp, Bébánde and Mbwas. Byáp in the north and Békol in the south are more geographically peripheral dialects. Byáp and Asón should not be confused with Northern Maka.[3]

    Meka covers essentially the entire northern part of Haut-Nyong department (Eastern Region). Bébánde covers the entire northern part of Abong-Mbang commune and also Bebeng commune. Mbwas covers most of the Doumé area (Mbouang and Doumatang communes), and Bésáp covers the north of Nguélémendouka.[3]

    Byap occupies the eastern part of Diang commune and Bélabo commune (Lom-et-Djerem department, Eastern Region), west of Bertoua. It extends into the Central and Southern Regions in Nyong-et-Mfoumou (in Akonolinga and Endom communes) and Dja-et-Lobo (in Bengbis and Zoétélé communes) departments.[3]

    There are 89,500 speakers.[3]

    Phonology

    Consonants

    LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarLabial-
    velar
    Glottal
    Plosivevoicelesstckkp
    voicedbdɟɡ
    prenasal vl.ᵐpⁿtᶮcᵑk
    prenasal vd.ᵐbⁿdᶮɟᵑɡ
    Nasalmnɲŋ
    Fricativevoicelessfsʃh
    voicedvzʒ
    Laterall
    Approximantjw

    Vowels

    FrontCentralBack
    Closeiɨu
    Near-closeɪ
    Close-mideəo, õ
    Open-midɛ, ɛ̃
    Opena
    • /o, õ/ may have allophones [ɔ, ɔ̃] which occur in free variation in many environments.[4]

    Writing system

    Maka alphabet[5]
    abcdeɛəfghiɨjklm
    nnyŋopsshtuʉvwyzzh

    Nasal vowels are indicated using the cedilla ‹ ɛ̧, ɔ̧ ›. Tones are indicated using diacritics:

    • the high tone with an acute accent;
    • the descending high-low tone with a circumflex accent;
    • the low-high rising tone with a caron;
    • low tone without accent.

    References

    1. ^ Makaa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    2. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
    3. ^ a b c d Binam Bikoi, Charles, ed. (2012). Atlas linguistique du Cameroun (ALCAM) [Linguistic Atlas of Cameroon]. Atlas linguistique de l'Afrique centrale (ALAC) (in French). Vol. 1: Inventaire des langues. Yaoundé: CERDOTOLA. ISBN 9789956796069.
    4. ^ Heath, Teresa (2003). Makaa (A83). In Nurse, Derek and Philippson, Gérard (eds.), The Bantu languages: London & New York: Routledge. pp. 335–348.
    5. ^ Abong, Mbang (2007). "Leçons d'apprentissage de la langue mekaa" (PDF). SIL. p. 3.
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