Wamey

Wamey
Konyagi
Native toGuinea, Senegal
Native speakers
38,000 (2014-2015)
Language codes
ISO 639-3cou
Glottologwame1240
ELPWamey
Approximate location where Wamey is spoken
Approximate location where Wamey is spoken
Location within Africa
Coordinates: 12°33′N 13°11′W / 12.550°N 13.183°W / 12.550; -13.183

Wamey ([wæ-meỹ], Meyny), or Konyagi (Conhague, Coniagui, Koniagui), is a Senegambian language of Senegal and Guinea spoken by the Konyagui people.

Phonology

Consonants

Wamey consonants
Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar
plainlabial
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ ŋʷ
Plosive voiceless p t c k kʷ
voiced b d ɟ g gʷ
voiceless
prenasal		 ᵐp ⁿt ᶮc ᵑk ᵑkʷ
voiced
prenasal		 ᵐb ⁿd ᶮɟ ᵑg
implosive ɓ ɗ ʄ
Fricative voiceless ɸ s x xʷ
voiced β
Approximant oral l j w
nasal l̃ j̃ w̃
Trill r r̠̙

Wamey is unusual in having a nasalized lateral approximant phoneme /l̃/, extremely rare among the world's languages.

Vowels

Wamey vowels
FrontCentralBack
Close i u
(Open)-Mid ɛ ə ɔ
Open æ a

References

  1. ↑ "Wamey". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  2. ↑ Wilson, William André Auquier. 2007. Guinea Languages of the Atlantic group: description and internal classification. (Schriften zur Afrikanistik, 12.) Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
  3. 1 2 Santos, R. (1977). Phonologie et Morphotonologie de la Langue Wey (Konyagi). Les Langues Africaines au Senegal. Vol. 69. Dakar: Centre de Linguistique Appliquée de Dakar.