Nyong language

Leko language spoken in Cameroon and Nigeria
Nyong
Mumbake
Nyɔŋ Nyanga
Native toNigeria, Cameroon
RegionAdamawa State
Native speakers
30,000 in Cameroon (2008 census)[1]
Language family
Niger–Congo?
Language codes
ISO 639-3muo
Glottolognyon1241
PersonNyɔŋvena[2]
PeopleNyɔŋnepa (Nyongnepa)
LanguageNyɔŋ Nyanga

Nyong (Daganyonga), also known as Mubako and Bali-Kumbat,[3] is a Leko language spoken in two well-separated enclaves in Cameroon and Nigeria. Cameroonian speakers consider themselves to be ethnically Chamba.

Nyong is linguistically distinct from nearby languages. It is instead more similar to the Chamba language which is spoken to the north. Nyong and Chamba have 85% lexical similarity.[4]

Distribution

Ethnologue (22nd ed.) lists the following Nyong villages and locations.

  • Cameroon
    • Mezam division, Santa subdivision: Baligham village
    • Ngo-Ketunjia division, Balikumbat subdivision: Baligashu, Baligansin, and Balikumbat villages on Ndop plain
  • Nigeria

Phonology

The vowels of Nyong are /i/, /u/, /e/, /o/, /ə/ /ɛ/, /ɔ/, and /a/. Length contrast exists in all vowels except /ə/ and /o/, which are always short. There are five tones: high, mid, low, rising, and falling.[5]

Consonant Phonemes[5]
Labial Dental/Alveolar Palatal Velar Labiovelar Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Stop p, b t, d k, g
Affricate nd ŋɡ kp, gb
Approximant l j w
Fricative f, v s, z h

References

  1. ^ Nyong at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  3. ^ "Mubako". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  4. ^ Griffin, Margaret A. (1994). A rapid appraisal survey of Mubako (ALCAM 300 Samba leekɔ).
  5. ^ a b Kouonang, Alice (1983). Esquisse phonologique du parler bali-kumbat.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Official languagesMajor languagesPidginsIndigenous languages
Sign languagesImmigrant languages
  • v
  • t
  • e
Official languages
National languages
Recognised languages
Indigenous languages
Indigenous languages (grouped by Nigerian state)
Adamawa
Akwa Ibom
Bauchi
Bayelsa
Benue
Borno
Cross River
Delta
Edo
Gombe
Jigawa
Kaduna
Kano
Kebbi
Kogi
Kwara
Nasarawa
Niger
Ondo
Plateau
Rivers
Taraba
Yobe
Sign languages
Immigrant languages
Scripts
  • v
  • t
  • e
Waja–Kam
Leko–Nimbari
Leko
Duru
Mumuye–Yendang
Mumuye
Yendang
Other
Bambukic
Bikwin–Jen
Bena–Mboi (Yungur)
Other
Mbum–Day
Mbum
Kim
Bua
Other
Others