Oluʼbo language

Oluʼbo
Loluʼbo
Native toSouth Sudan
EthnicityOluʼbo
Native speakers
33,000 (2017)
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3lul
Glottologolub1238

Oluʼbo or Loluʼbo is a Central Sudanic language spoken by 33,000 Oluʼbo people in Southern Sudan.

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants
LabialDentalAlveolarPost-
alveolar
RetroflexPalatalVelarLabial-
velar
Glottal
Implosive ɓɗʄ
Plosive/
Affricate
voiceless pt̪tʃʈkkpʔ
voiced bd̪dʒɖggb
prenasalized ᵐbⁿd̪ⁿdʒᶯɖᵑgᵑᵐgb
Fricativevoiceless fs
voiced vz
Approximant ljw

Vowels

FrontBack
Vowels
Close iu
Near-close ɪʊ
Close-mid eo
Open-mid ɛɔ
Open a

Vowels form two vowel harmony sets, based on advanced and retracted tongue root. The [−ATR] group is commonly transcribed as /ɪ, ɛ, ɔ, ʊ/, and the [+ATR] group as /i, e, o, u/. /a/ is phonetically [−ATR] but is found in roots of both sets.

There is a tenth vowel quality [ɤ], which only occurs after /u/. When /u/ and [ɤ] are in separate morphemes, [ɤ] is in free variation with [o].

Tones

Oluʼbo has high /˦/, mid /˧/, and low /˨/ tones.There are also six compound tones, low-mid /˨˧/, low-high /˨˦/, mid-low /˧˨/, mid-high /˧˦/, high-low /˦˨/, and high-mid /˦˧/.

Notes

  1. ↑ Oluʼbo at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ↑ Andersen 1987, p. 45.
  3. 1 2 Andersen 1987, p. 40.
  4. ↑ Andersen 1987, p. 41.
  5. ↑ Andersen 1987, p. 44.
  6. ↑ Andersen 1987, p. 48.

References