Iceve-Maci language

Ceve
Oliti
Iceve
Native toCameroon, Nigeria
Native speakers
(12,000 cited 1990)
Language codes
ISO 639-3bec
Glottologicev1238
Ceve
PeopleBaceve
LanguageIceve

Ceve (Iceve), or Iceve-Maci, is a Tivoid language of the Cameroons. The divergent dialects are Ceve proper (Becheve), and Maci (Matchi, Oliti).

Writing system

Iceve-Maci Alphabet
abcde ɛfggbgh hikkpl mnŋoɔ pstuʉ vwyz

Multigraphs

Digraphs mb nd ng ny nz ŋw ŋm
IPA mb nd ŋg nj ndz ŋw ŋm
Trigraph mgb
IPA ŋmgb

Tone indication

Notation á à or a â ă àâ
Tone description High Low Falling Rising Falling-rising

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar/Postalveolar Palatal Velar Labiovelar Glottal
Nasal m n ŋ ŋm
Plosive p b mb t d ⁿd k g ŋg kp gb ŋmgb
Affricate t͡s ~ t͡ʃ d͡z ~ d͡ʒ ⁿd͡z
Fricative f v s ~ ʃ h
Approximant l j ɲj w ⁿw

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i ɨ u
Near-close ʊ
Close-mid e o
Open/Open-mid a ɔ

Tones

There are 5 tones: high, low, falling, rising and rising-falling.

References

  1. ↑ Ceve at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ↑ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  3. ↑ "Va, Sayegh Iceve!". SIL International. 15 September 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Iceve-Maci language and alphabet". www.omniglot.com. Retrieved 2024-03-17.