Gula Iro language explained

Gula Iro
States:	Chad
Speakers:	3,500
Date:	1991
Ref:	e25
Familycolor:	Niger-Congo
Fam2:	Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:	Mbum–Day
Fam4:	Bua
Fam5:	Gula
Iso3:	glj
Glotto:	gula1265
Glottorefname:	Gula Iro

The Gula Iro language (autonym kùláál) is a Bua language spoken by some 3,500 people (in 1991) north and east of Lake Iro in southern Chad, between the Bola and Salamat rivers. It has four dialects, according to Pairault:

• páṭóól (350 speakers), the northernmost and the least comprehensible to speakers of the other dialects, spoken in and around Badi;
• pòŋààl (2,000 speakers), by the north shore of the lake, spoken in and around Boum Kabir, Boum Sarher, and Tordjigel;
• tɩ́ààlà (730 speakers), spoken east and south of the lake, including Kouré, Bouni, Tormorhal, and Masidjanga;
• tííṭààl (200 speakers), the easternmost, spoken in various villages west of Tamba;

to which Ethnologue adds a fifth, Korintal (170 speakers), spoken in Tieou.

Gula Iro is very closely related to Zan Gula and Bon Gula, but they are not mutually comprehensible.

Phonology

The consonants, along with their orthography, are:

	Bilabial	Labiodental	Apico-dental	Postalveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Plosives	p		t	ṭ		k
Fricatives		f			s		h
Liquids	w		l		y
Nasal	m		n		ñ	ŋ
Trills			r

The vowels are: a, e, i, o, u, ɛ, ɩ, ɔ, ʋ. Nasalization (only on a, e, o) and length are both contrastive, and diphthongs can be formed. Tone is phonemic; each vowel must carry high or low tone.

Grammar

Typical word order is subject–verb–object. The basic subject pronouns are: ñó I, mó you (sg.), á he/she/it, pʋ́ we (exclusive), én we (inclusive), í you (pl.), ʋ́ they.

Bibliography

• P. Boyeldieu. "La formation du pluriel nominal en kulaal (Tchad): essai de systématisation des documents publiés par C. Pairault". Afrika und Übersee, 1986, n° 69, vol. 2, p. 209-249.
• C. Pairault, Documents du parler d'iro: kùláál du Tchad. Langues et Littérature de l'Afrique Noire V. Klincksieck: Paris 1969.