West Teke language

West Teke
Native toRepublic of Congo, Gabon
EthnicityTeke, Bongo Pygmies
Native speakers
(120,000 cited ca.2000)
(some figures undated)
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
tyi – Tsaayi
lli – Laali
iyx – Yaa
tyx – Tyee (Kwe)
Glottologwest2969  West Kasai-Ngounie
B.73

West Teke is a Bantu language spoken in the Republic of Congo and Gabon.

West Teke is a dialect continuum. The varieties are Tsaayi (Ge-Tsaya, Tyaye, Tsayi), Laali, Yaa (Yaka), and Tyee (Tee, Kwe). The dominant variety by far is Tsaayi.

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Labio-
velar		 Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ ŋ͡m
Plosive voiceless p t k k͡p
voiced b d ɡ
prenasal vl. ᵐp ⁿt ᵑk ᵑk͡p
prenasal vd. ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ ᵑɡ͡b
Affricate voiceless p͡f t͡s
voiced b͡v d͡z
prenasal vl. ᵐp͡f ⁿt͡s
prenasal vd. ᵐb͡v ⁿd͡z
Fricative f s ɣ h
Rhotic ɾ
Approximant (ɥ) l j w

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i ĩ u ũ
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɛ̃ ɔ ɔ̃
Open a ã

References

  1. ↑ Tsaayi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Laali at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Yaa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Tyee (Kwe) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ↑ Ntsiba Ngolo, Edouard; Raharimanantsoa, Ruth (2015). Petit guide d’orthographique et de grammaire du Téké du sud-ouest. Brazzaville: SIL Congo.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)

Dictionnaire Teke-Tyee