Songe language

Last updated
Songe
Native to Democratic Republic of the Congo
Region Kasai-Oriental province
Native speakers
(1 million cited 1991) [1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3 sop
Glottolog song1303
L.23 [2]

Songe, also known as Songye, Kisonge, Lusonge, Yembe, and Northeast Luba , is a Bantu language spoken by the Songye people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Contents

Ethnologue notes that Songe is "related" to Mbagani, which they do not include in their database. Maho (2009) labels as "Mbagani (Binji)" one of the two geographic areas Ethnologue assigns to Songe, but says that it is closer to Lwalu; he says that it is a different language, Binji, that is close to Songe.

Phonology

Vowels

A five vowel system with vowel length is present:

Front Central Back
Close i u
Mid e o
Open a

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Post-alv./
Palatal
Velar
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive/
Affricate
voiceless p t k
vl. prenasal ᵐp ⁿt ⁿtʃ ᵑk
voiced b d ɡ
vd. prenasal ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ
vl. prenasal ᶬf ⁿs ⁿʃ
voiced v z ʒ
vd. prenasal ᶬv ⁿz ⁿʒ
Approximant l j w

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References

  1. Songe at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. Stappers, Leo (1964). Morfologie van het Songye. Leuven: Katholieke Universiteit.