Bena language

Last updated
Bena
Ekibena
Native to Tanzania
Ethnicity Bena
Native speakers
590,000 (2009) [1]
Dialects
  • Bena
  • Benamanga
Language codes
ISO 639-3 Variously:
bez   Bena
egm   Kidugala
egm   Lupembe
egm   Benemanga
Glottolog bena1262
G.63 [2]
Linguasphere 99-AUS-ub incl. varieties 99-AUS-uba...-ubg

Bena is a Bantu language spoken by the Bena people of the Iringa region of Tanzania.

Contents

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal mnɲŋ
Plosive voicelessptk
voicedbdɡ
prenasalᵐbⁿdᵑɡ
Affricate ts
Fricative voicelessfsh
voicedv
prenasalⁿs
Approximant ljw

Voiceless sounds almost always occur as aspirated stops; [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ].

Vowels

Front Central Back
High i iːu uː
Mid ɛ eːo oː
Low a aː

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References

  1. Bena at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed Access logo transparent.svg
    Kidugala at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed Access logo transparent.svg
    Lupembe at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed Access logo transparent.svg
    Benemanga at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. Morrison (2011)