Lengola language

Lengola
Kilengola
Native toDR Congo
Native speakers
(100,000 cited 1998)
Language codes
ISO 639-3lej
Glottologleng1258
D.12

Lengola (Lengora) is a Bantu language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is not close to other Bantu languages. It may be closest to some of the D.30 languages in a group called "Lebonya".

Phonology

Lengola consonants
Bilabial Labiodental Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Labiovelar
Nasal m n ɲ
Plosive p · b t · d k · ɡ kp · ɡb
Implosive ɓ ɗ ʄ
Affricate tʃ · dʒ
Fricative ɸ · β f · v s
Approximant j w
Lateral approximant l
Lengola vowels
Front Back
Close i u
Close-mid e o
Open a

There are also three tones: High, mid, and low.

References

  1. ↑ Lengola at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. 1 2 3 Stappers, Leo (1971). "Esquisse de la langue lengola". African Linguistica. 5: 255–303.