Yaka language (Congo–Angola)

Yaka
Iyaka
Kiyaka
Native toDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Angola
EthnicityYaka
Native speakers
(900,000 cited 2000)
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
yaf – Kiyaka
noq – Ngoongo
ppp – Pelende (duplicate code)
lnz – Lonzo (duplicate code)
Glottologyaka1269
H.31

Yaka, also spelled Iaca and Iyaka, is a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola. There are two dialects, Yaka proper, which comprises 99% of speakers, and Ngoongo (distinguish West Ngongo language). The alleged varieties Pelende and Lonzo are political rather than ethnolinguistic entities.

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n
Plosive voiceless p t k
aspirated pʰ tʰ kʰ
prenasal ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ
voiced b
Affricate voiceless p͡f t͡s
prenasal ᶬb͡v ⁿd͡z
Fricative voiceless f s h
voiced v z
Approximant w l j

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i iː u uː
Mid e eː o oː
Open a aː

References

  1. ↑ Kiyaka at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Ngoongo at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Pelende (duplicate code) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Lonzo (duplicate code) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. 1 2 Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ↑ Hammarström (2015) Ethnologue 16/17/18th editions: a comprehensive review: online appendices
  4. ↑ Kidima, Lukowa (1991). Tone and accent in KiYaka. Ann Arbor: University of California at Los Angeles.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)