Yasa language

Last updated
Iyasa
Bongwe
Native to Cameroon
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Ethnicity Yasa and Pygmies [1]
Native speakers
2,400 in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea (2000–2011) [1]
unknown number in Gabon [1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3 yko
Glottolog yasa1242
A.33a [2]
ELP Iyasa
Lang Status 60-DE.svg
Yasa is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Iyasa (Yasa, Yassa) is a Bantu language spoken in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea by the Iyasa and Ndowe coastal fishing peoples. It is also spoken by Pygmies, perhaps Babongo, in Gabon. Approximately 3,000 people speak Iyasa, [3] though some note that this number may be an overestimation. [4]

Contents

Iyasa also goes by the names Bongwe, Lyaasa, and Maasa. Dialects are Bweko, Vendo, Bodele, Marry, One, Asonga, Bomui, Mogana, Mooma, Mapanga. It may in turn be a dialect of Kombe. Speakers report that Kombe and Iyasa are almost perfectly mutually intelligible. [5]

Classification

Dieu and Renaud (1993) classify Iyasa as a Sawabantu language (A.30 in Guthrie classification). [6]

Geographic Distribution

Iyasa is spoken along the coast of Cameroon south of Kribi, including in the city of Campo. It is also spoken across the Ntem River in Equatorial Guinea. [7] The northernmost Iyasa village is Lolabe, 31 km south of Kribi. [5]

Phonology

Iyasa has a seven-vowel system: [5]

Monophthong phonemes
Front Central Back
Close i u
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a

It also has 22 phonemic consonants: [5]

Labial Alveolar Post-
alveolar
Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive/
Affricate
voiceless p t k
voiced d ɟ ɡ
implosive ɓ ɗ
Fricative v s h
Semivowel w j
Lateral l

Grammar

Noun classes

Iyasa has 12 noun classes, as outlined in the table below (adapted from Bôt 2011 and Bouh Ma Sitna 2004): [7] [5]

Class numberPrefixAllomorphsExample (IPA)Translation (French)Translation (English)
1mù-mʷ-mù-tʃɛ́tʃɛ́

mw-ánà

le bébé

l'enfant

baby

child

2wà-w-wà-dóles femmeswomen
3mò-m-, mʷ-, ŋ-mò-ló

ŋ-kɔ́jɛ́

la fête

le pannier

party

basket

4mè-m-, mʲ-mè-kɔles panniersbaskets
5ɗì-ɗ-, i-, dʒ-ɗì-lɔ̂

ì-dàkà

l'oreille

la maladie

ear

illness

6mà-m-mà-lɔ̂les oreillesears
7è-èj-è-lɛ́mila languetongue
8ɓè-ɓèj-ɓè-kòndà

ɓèj-ìmà

les souliers

les choses

shoes

things

9/10N-m-, n-, ŋ-, ɲ-, øm-bàdì

n-dómì

ø-sɔ̀kù

maison(s)

père(s)

éléphant(s)

house(s)

father(s)

elephant(s)

13lì-l-lì-ɲɔ̀ní

l-éjì

les oiseaux

les soleils

birds

suns

14ɓù-ɓʷ-ɓù-dù

bʷ-àló

l'âne

la pirogue

donkey

canoe

19vi-v-vì-ɲɔ̀níl'oiseaubird

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Iyasa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. "Did you know Iyasa is threatened?". Endangered Languages. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  4. Belew, Anna (2018). "Discourses of speakerhood in Iyasa: Linguistic identity and authenticity in an endangered language". Language Documentation & Conservation: 339–358. hdl:10125/24769. ISSN   1934-5275.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Bouh Ma Sitna, Charles Lwanga (2004). Le Syntagme Nominal du Yasa. University of Yaoundé I: Master's thesis.
  6. Dieu, Michel, and Patrick Renaud. 1993. Situation linguistique en Afrique centrale, inventaire pre@liminaire: Le Cameroun. In Atlas Linguistique du Cameroun. Yaounde@: ACCT-CERDOTOLA-DGRST.
  7. 1 2 Bôt, Dieudonné Martin Luther (2011). "Le Préfixe Nominale Yasa". Journal of West African Languages. 38 (1): 99–122.