West Banda language

Last updated
West Banda
Golo
Native to Central African Republic, South Sudan
Native speakers
(7,500 cited 1982–1996) [1]
Ubangian
Language codes
ISO 639-3 bbp
Glottolog west2458

West Banda is a minor Banda language, spoken by 10,000 or so people.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Dialects

Dialects are Dakpa, Gbaga-Nord (Gbaga-2), Gbi, Vita, and Wojo (Hodjo), as reported by Ethnologue and Moñino (1988). [2]

Dákpá speakers live in some villages near the Sara people of Nyango; clans are Yangbà and Dèkò. [3]

Phonology

Consonants

Bilabial Labio-
dental
Dental Alveolar Post-
alveolar
Palatal Velar Labial-
velar
Glottal
Plosive voiceless p t c k kp ʔ
voiced ɟ ɡ ɡb
prenasalized ᵐb ⁿd ᶮɟ ᵑɡ ᵑᵐɡb
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ h
voiced v z ʒ
prenasalized ᶬv ⁿz
Nasal m n ɲ ŋm
Tap/Flap ɾ
Lateral l
Approximant j w

Vowels

Front Mid Back
Close i ɨ u
Close-mid e o
Mid ə
Open-mid ɔ
Open a

Vowel tones in West Banda are rising /ǎ/, falling /â/, mid /ā/, low /à/, and high /á/. [4]

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References

  1. West Banda at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Moñino, Yves (1988). Lexique comparatif des langues oubanguiennes. Paris: Geuthner.
  3. Nougayrol, Pierre. 1989. Les Groupes Banda du Bamingui-Bangoran (RCA). Révue d'Ethnolinguistique (Cahiers du LACITO) 4: 197-208.
  4. Sampson, Douglas (1985). Studies in African Linguistics Supplement. pp. 269–274.