Mangbai language explained
| Mangbai |
| States: | Cameroon, Chad |
| Speakers: | 14,000 |
| Date: | 2002–2011 |
| Ref: | e18 |
| Familycolor: | Niger-Congo |
| Fam2: | Atlantic–Congo |
| Fam3: | Mbum–Day |
| Fam4: | Mbum |
| Fam5: | Northern Mbum |
| Fam6: | Tupuri–Mambai |
| Iso3: | mcs |
| Glotto: | mamb1294 |
| Glottorefname: | Mambai |
Mangbai (Mamgbay, Mambai) is an Mbum language of northern Cameroon and southern Chad.
Distribution
In Cameroon, Mambay is spoken along the Mayo-Kebi River near the Chadian border, in the Djaloumé region (northern end of Bibemi commune, Bénoué department), where there is a massif called Hosséré Mambay. It is also spoken in the extreme southeast of Figuil commune, Mayo-Louti department. In Cameroon and Chad, there is a total of about 2,500 speakers, many of whom also speak Mundang.
Phonology
Consonants[1]
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | | |
|---|
| Stop | voiceless | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ |
|---|
| voiced | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |
|---|
| implosive | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | | | | |
|---|
| Fricative | voiceless | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | | | | pronounced as /link/ |
|---|
| voiced | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | | | | |
|---|
| Nasal | plain | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | | pronounced as /link/ | | |
|---|
| glottalized | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | | pronounced as /link/ | | |
|---|
| Flap/Trill | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | | | | |
|---|
| Approximant | plain | | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | | pronounced as /link/ | |
|---|
| glottalized | | | pronounced as /link/ | | pronounced as /link/ | | |
|---|
Vowels
! colspan="2" | Front | Central | Back |
|---|
| | | | | |
|---|
| High | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ |
|---|
| Mid | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ |
|---|
| Low | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |
|---|
/e, o/ are heard as [ɛ, ɔ] when in closed syllables.
! colspan="2" | Front | Central | Back |
|---|
| | | | | |
|---|
| High | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ |
|---|
| Low | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |
|---|
Glottalized
! colspan="1" | Front | Central | Back |
|---|
| High | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ |
|---|
| Mid | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ |
|---|
| Low | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |
|---|
! colspan="1" | Front | Central | Back |
|---|
| High | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ |
|---|
| Low | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |
|---|
Pharyngealized
! colspan="1" | Front | Central | Back |
|---|
| Mid | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ |
|---|
| Low | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |
|---|
! colspan="1" | Front | Central | Back |
|---|
| High | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ |
|---|
| Low | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |
|---|
Notes and References
- Web site: Anonby . Erik John . 2008 . Phonology and Morphology of Mambay (Niger-Congo, Adamawa) . 2023-09-18 . scholar.google.com.
