Minyanka language

{{Short description|Senufo language spoken in Mali}} {{Infobox language |name=Minyaka |nativename={{lang|myk|Mamara}} |states=Mali |speakers={{sigfig|738,000|2}} |date=2000 |ref=e18 |familycolor=Niger-Congo |fam2=Atlantic–Congo |fam3=Senufo |fam4=Suppire–Mamara |iso3=myk |glotto=mama1271 |glottorefname=Mamara Senoufo |map=Mamara language.png |mapcaption=Map showing where Mamara is spoken. }}

'''Minyanka''' (also known as '''Mamara''', '''Miniyanka''', '''Minya''', '''Mianka''', '''Minianka''', or '''Tupiire''') is a northern Senufo language spoken by about 750,000 people in southeastern Mali. It is closely related to Supyire. Minyanka is one of the national languages of Mali.

== Phonology ==

=== Consonants === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ! colspan="3" |Labial ! rowspan="2" |Alveolar ! rowspan="2" |Palatal ! colspan="2" |Velar ! rowspan="2" |Labio- velar ! rowspan="2" |Pharyn- geal ! rowspan="2" |Glottal |- !plain !lab. !pal. !plain !pal. |- ! colspan="2" |Nasal | {{IPA link|m}} | {{IPA link|mʷ}} | {{IPA link|mʲ}} | {{IPA link|n}} | {{IPA link|ɲ}} | {{IPA link|ŋ}} | | {{IPA link|ŋ͡m}} | | |- ! rowspan="3" |Plosive !voiceless | {{IPA link|p}} | {{IPA link|pʷ}} | {{IPA link|pʲ}} | {{IPA link|t}} | {{IPA link|c}} | {{IPA link|k}} | {{IPA link|kʲ}} | {{IPA link|k͡p}} | | {{IPA link|ʔ}} |- !voiced | {{IPA link|b}} | {{IPA link|bʷ}} | | {{IPA link|d}} | {{IPA link|ɟ}} | {{IPA link|ɡ}} | {{IPA link|ɡʲ}} | {{IPA link|ɡ͡b}} | | |- !prenasal | {{IPA link|ᵐb}} | | | {{IPA link|ⁿd}} | {{IPA link|ᶮɟ}} | {{IPA link|ᵑɡ}} | | | | |- ! rowspan="2" |Fricative !voiceless | {{IPA link|f}} | {{IPA link|fʷ}} | {{IPA link|fʲ}} | {{IPA link|s}} | {{IPA link|ʃ}} | | | | | ({{IPA link|h}}) |- !voiced | {{IPA link|v}} | | | {{IPA link|z}} | {{IPA link|ʒ}} | | | | ({{IPA link|ʕ}}) | ({{IPA link|ɦ}}) |- ! colspan="2" |Rhotic | | | | {{IPA link|r}} | | | | | | |- ! colspan="2" |Approximant | | | | {{IPA link|l}} |{{IPA link|j}} |{{IPA link|w}} |{{IPA link|wʲ}} | | | |}

* A pharyngeal fricative [ʕ] is also typically heard when in between vowels, or as an allophone of /ɡ/ when in intervocalic position. * Glottal sounds [h, ɦ] are only heard in the Bla dialect, instead of labio-velar sounds /k͡p, ɡ͡b, ŋ͡m/.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Coulibaly |first=Sékou |title=Le minyanka parlé dans le cercle de Bla: une description phonologique et morphosyntaxique |publisher=Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris III |year=2020}}</ref> * Sounds /k, ɡ/ can also be heard as fricatives [x, ɣ] when in intervocalic positions.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Prost |first=André |title=Le Mambar |publisher=Dakar: Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, Université de Dakar |year=1964 |location=In Prost, André (ed.), Contribution à l'étude des langues voltaïques |pages=123–183}}</ref>

=== Vowels === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! !Front !Central !Back |- !Close | {{IPA link|i}} {{IPA link|ĩ}} | | {{IPA link|u}} {{IPA link|ũ}} |- !Close-mid | {{IPA link|e}} | rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|ə}} | {{IPA link|o}} |- !Open-mid | {{IPA link|ɛ}} {{IPA link|ɛ̃}} | {{IPA link|ɔ}} {{IPA link|ɔ̃}} |- !Open | | {{IPA link|a}} {{IPA link|ã}} | |}

* /u/ can also be heard as [y] when in the position of /j/. * /o/ can also be heard as [œ] when before a glottal /ʔ/.

==See also== *Senufo language

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * Dombrowsky-Hahn, Klaudia (ed. by Miehe, Gudrun; Reineke, Brigitte; Roncador, Manfred von) (1999) ''Phénomènes de contact entre les langues Minyanka et Bambara (Sud du Mali)''. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe. * Prost, André (1964) ''Contributrion à l'étude des langues Voltaiques''. Dakar: Institut Francophone de l'Afrique Noire.

==External links== * [http://www.malien.net/mamara Minyanka-French-Bambara-English Dictionary] to view online or download, from the Association for the Promotion of the Mamara language, Koutiala, Mali. * [http://sil-mali.org/en/language/myk Resources in Mamara] from [http://sil-mali.org/en SIL Mali] * [http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/PanAfrLoc/SuppireMinianka PanAfrican L10n page on Suppire/Minianka]

Category:Suppire–Mamara languages Category:Languages of Mali