Njebi language

Njebi
Yinjebi
Native toGabon, Republic of Congo
EthnicityBanjabi, Bongo
Native speakers
(140,000 cited 2000–2007)
Language codes
ISO 639-3nzb
Glottolognjeb1242
B.52
Map of Gabon, with Njebi language area in gray

Njebi (or Nzebi, Njabi, Ndzabi, Yinjebi, etc.) is a Bantu language spoken in Gabon and the Republic of Congo.

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar
Plosive voiceless p t k
voiced b d ɡ
prenasal ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ
Affricate p͡f t͡s t͡ʃ
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ
voiced β z (ʒ)
prenasal ᶬv ⁿz ⁿʒ
Nasal m n ɲ
Rhotic r
Lateral l
Approximant w j

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i iː u uː
Close-mid e eː ə o oː
Open-mid ɛ ɛː ɔ ɔː
Open a aː

Vowel sounds may also be heard as tense in different positions.

Example

Gabonese singer SeBa's writes and sings her songs in the Njebi language.

References

  1. ↑ Njebi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ↑ Marchal-Nasse, Colette (1989). De la phonologie à la morphologie du nzèbi, langue bantoue (B52) du Gabon. Université Libre de Bruxelles.
  4. ↑ Andy Steen dit (2016-11-21). "Musique : "Kundu", le retour de SeBa". Gabonreview.com | Actualité du Gabon | (in French). Retrieved 2020-02-07.