Nzema language

Nzema
Region	Ghana, Ivory Coast
Ethnicity	Nzema
Native speakers	412,000 (2013)
Language family	Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Kwa Potou–Tano Tano Central Tano Bia South Bia Nzema; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Language codes
ISO 639-2	nzi
ISO 639-3	nzi
Glottolog	nzim1238

Nzema, also known as Nzima or Appolo, is a Central Tano language spoken by the Nzema people of southwestern Ghana and southeastern Ivory Coast.^[2] It is partially intelligible with Jwira-Pepesa and is closely related to Baoulé.^[3]

Although it is a Bia language, Nzema has had considerable influence from Akan languages, especially Twi and Fante.^[4]

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Labiodental		Dental	Alveolar				Alveolo-palatal		Palatal		Velar		Labial-velar
		Labial	plain	labialized	Dental	plain	labialized	palatalized	nasalized	plain	labialized	plain	labialized	plain	labialized	Labial-velar
Nasal	plain	m			n̪	n						ɲ	ɲʷ	ŋ	ŋʷ	ŋm
Plosive/ affricate	voiceless	p	tp		t̪					dʑ	dʑʷ			k	kʷ	kp
Plosive/ affricate	voiced	b	db		d̪	d				tɕ	tɕʷ			ɡ	gʷ	ɡb
Fricative	voiceless		f	fʷ		s	sʷ	sʲ		ɕ	ɕʷ			x
Fricative	voiced		v	vʷ		z	zʷ	zʲ						ɣ
Trill						r
Lateral						l			l̃
Approximant												j			w

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i		u
Near-close	ɪ		ʊ
Close-mid	e		o
Open-mid	ɛ		ɔ
Near-open		ɐ
Open		a

Of Nzema's ten vowels, eight may be nasalized: /i᷈/, /ɪ᷈/, /ɛ̃/, /ɐ̃/, /a᷈/, /u᷈/, /ʊ᷈/, and /ɔ̃/.^[4]

References

^ Nzema at Ethnologue (22nd ed., 2019)
^ "Nzema". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
^ Burmeister, Jonathan L. (1976). "A comparison of variable nouns in Anyi-Sanvi and Nzema". Annales de l'Université d'Abidjan. H (Linguistique 9): 7–19.
^ ^a ^b Berry, J. (1955). "Some Notes on the Phonology of the Nzema and Ahanta Dialects". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 17 (1): 160–165. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00106421. ISSN 1474-0699.

External links

Nzema language dictionaries

[e22-1] Nzema at Ethnologue (22nd ed., 2019)

[2] "Nzema". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2020-01-03.

[3] Burmeister, Jonathan L. (1976). "A comparison of variable nouns in Anyi-Sanvi and Nzema". Annales de l'Université d'Abidjan. H (Linguistique 9): 7–19.

[:0-4] Berry, J. (1955). "Some Notes on the Phonology of the Nzema and Ahanta Dialects". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 17 (1): 160–165. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00106421. ISSN 1474-0699.

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