Perema language explained

Perema language should not be confused with Pere language (Ivory Coast).

Wom
Nativename:	Perema
States:	Nigeria
Region:	Adamawa State
Speakers:	5,000
Date:	1989
Ref:	e18
Familycolor:	Niger-Congo
Fam2:	Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:	Leko–Nimbari
Fam4:	Leko
Iso3:	wom
Glotto:	womn1235
Glottorefname:	Wom (Nigeria)
Notice:	ipa

Wom ([w̃ɔ̃̀m]^[1]), or Perema, is a Leko language of Nigeria.

Phonology

Consonants are:

m	n			[ŋ]
b	d		ɟ	ɡ	ɡb ~ ɡʷ
p	t		c	k	kp ~ kʷ	(ʔ)
f v	s z	ʃ ʒ		x		(h)
	r
	l		j		w

/ŋ/, and only /ŋ/, appears geminate. /ʔ/ is rare, perhaps borrowed. /h/ is known from one word, not borrowed.

Vowels are pronounced as //i e ɛ a ə ɔ o u//. All may be doubled, but there are no long vowels. /a/ is neutralized to /ə/ in all but final position.

Tone is probably high, low, and falling, as in Chamba Leko.

External links

• The Perema (Wom) language of northeastern Nigeria: classification, phonology and noun morphology (PDF) by Roger M. Blench, 2000. Mallam Dendo, Cambridge.

Notes and References

1. Idiatov, Dmitry, Mark Van de Velde, Tope Olagunju and Bitrus Andrew. 2017. Results of the first AdaGram survey in Adamawa and Taraba States, Nigeria. 47th Colloquium on African Languages and Linguistics (CALL) (Leiden, Netherlands).