Ghomalaʼ language

{{Short description|Bamileke language spoken in Cameroon}} {{distinguish|Ghomara language}} {{Expand language|topic=|langcode=fr|otherarticle=Ghomalaʼ|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox language | name = Ghomala | nativename = {{lang|bbj|Ghɔmáláʼ}} | region = West Region (Cameroon) | ethnicity = Bamileke | speakers = 350,000 | date = 2005 | ref = e18 | familycolor = Niger-Congo | fam2 = Atlantic–Congo | fam3 = Volta-Congo | fam4 = Benue–Congo | fam5 = Bantoid | fam6 = Southern Bantoid | fam7 = Grassfields | fam8 = Eastern Grassfields | fam9 = Mbam-Nkam | fam10 = Bamileke | iso3 = bbj | glotto = ghom1247 | glottorefname = Ghomálá{{'}} | states = Cameroon | script = Latin }}

'''{{lang|bbj|Ghɔmáláʼ|italic=no}}''' or '''Ghomala''' is a major Bamileke language spoken in Cameroon, originally in the following departments of the West region:

* Mifi, Koung-Khi and Hauts-Plateaux: most of the three departments (except extreme south and except pockets in the north and west) * Menoua: east of the department * Bamboutos: a corner in the south

It is spoken by an estimated 2 million people in two main population groups.{{cn|date=March 2024}}

== Phonology == === Consonants === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="2" | !Labial !Alveolar !Palatal !Velar !Glottal |- ! rowspan="2" |Plosive !voiceless |{{IPAlink|p}} |{{IPAlink|t}} | |{{IPAlink|k}} |{{IPAlink|ʔ}} |- !voiced |{{IPAlink|b}} |{{IPAlink|d}} | |{{IPAlink|ɡ}} | |- ! rowspan="2" |Affricate !voiceless |{{IPAlink|p͡f}} |{{IPAlink|t͡s}} |{{IPAlink|t͡ʃ}} | | |- !voiced |{{IPAlink|b͡v}} |{{IPAlink|d͡z}} |{{IPAlink|d͡ʒ}} | | |- ! rowspan="2" |Fricative !voiceless |{{IPAlink|f}} |{{IPAlink|s}} |({{IPAlink|ʃ}}) | |{{IPAlink|h}} |- !voiced |({{IPAlink|v}}) | |({{IPAlink|ʒ}}) |({{IPAlink|ɣ}}) | |- ! colspan="2" |Nasal |{{IPAlink|m}} |{{IPAlink|n}} | |{{IPAlink|ŋ}} | |- ! rowspan="3" |Approximant !lateral | |({{IPAlink|l}}) | | | |- !central |{{IPAlink|w}} | |{{IPAlink|j}} | | |- !centralized | | |{{IPAlink|ɥ̈}} | | |}

* The glottal stop {{IPA|/ʔ/}} only occurs as word-final. * Sounds {{IPA|[v l ʃ ʒ ɣ]}} are alternative consonant sounds of {{IPA|/b͡v d t͡ʃ d͡ʒ ɡ/}}. * {{IPA|/t d/}}, when occurring before close front-central vowel sounds /i ʉ/, can sound palatalized as {{IPA|[tʲ dʲ]}}. * Sounds {{IPA|/p b t d k/}}, when preceding a {{IPA|/h/}} sound, are realized as affricated {{IPA|[p͡ɸ b͡β t͡θ d͡ð k͡x]}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nissim |first=Gabriel M. |title=Le Bamileke-Ghomálá' (parler de Bandjoun, Cameroun): phonologie - morphologie nominale; comparaison avec des parlers voisins |date=1981 |publisher=SELAF |isbn=978-2-85297-104-2 |series=Langues et civilisations à tradition orale |location=Paris}}</ref> * {{IPA|/ɡ/}}, when occurring before central vowel sounds {{IPA|/ə ɐ/}}, may sound affricated as {{IPA|[ɡ͡ɣ]}}. * A word-final {{IPA|/k/}} sound, may be realized as uvular sounds {{IPA|[q χ]}}.

=== Vowels === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! !Front !Central !Back |- !High |{{IPAlink|i}} |{{IPAlink|ʉ}} |{{IPAlink|u}} |- ! rowspan="2" |Mid |{{IPAlink|e}} |{{IPAlink|ə}} |{{IPAlink|o}} |- |{{IPAlink|ɛ}} |{{IPAlink|ɐ}} |{{IPAlink|ɔ}} |- !Low | |{{IPAlink|a}} | |}

* Sounds {{IPA|/ɐ u ɔ/}} when occurring with a velar nasal {{IPA|/ŋ/}}, can be realized as nasalized vowel sounds {{IPA|[ɐ̃ ũ ɔ̃]}}.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Nissim|first=Gabriel M.|title=Le Bamileke-Ghomálá' (Parler de Bandjoun, Cameroun)|location=Paris |publisher=Centre National de la Recherche Sciéntifique |year=1981}}</ref>

=== Tone === Tones are marked as high {{IPA|[á]}}, low {{IPA|[à]}}, mid (unmarked) {{IPA|[a]}}, rising {{IPA|[ǎ]}}, or falling {{IPA|[â]}}.

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Languages of Cameroon}} {{Grassfields Bantu languages}} Category:Languages of Cameroon Category:Bamileke languages