Mundang language

{{Short description|Mbum language spoken in Chad and Cameroon}} {{Infobox language | name = Mundang | nativename = {{lang|mua|zah Mundaŋ}} | states = Chad, Cameroon | speakers = {{sigfig|395,700|2}} | date = 1982–2019 | ref = e26 | familycolor = Niger-Congo | fam2 = Atlantic–Congo | fam3 = Mbum–Day | fam4 = Mbum | fam5 = Northern Mbum | fam6 = Tupuri–Mambai | dia1 = Kabi (Kieziere) | dia2 = Zasing (Torrock-Kaélé, Yasing) | dia3 = Gelama | iso3 = mua | glotto = mund1325 | glottorefname = Mundang }}

'''Mundang''' is an Mbum language of southern Chad and northern Cameroon, spoken by the Mundang people.

The Gelama dialect of Cameroon may be a separate language.

==Distribution== Mundang, spoken in Cameroon by 44,700 speakers (SIL 1982), is mainly spoken in Mayo-Kani department, Far North Region, in the communes of Mindif, Moulvouday, and Kaélé. It is also spoken to a lesser extent in the south of Mayo-Kebi, in the east of Bibemi commune (Bénoué department, Northern Region), towards the Chadian border. Mundang of Lere (in Chad) and Mundang of Cameroon (centered in Lara and Kaélé) are highly similar.<ref name="ALCAM2012">{{cite book|editor-last=Binam Bikoi|editor-first=Charles|date=2012|title=Atlas linguistique du Cameroun (ALCAM)|trans-title=Linguistic Atlas of Cameroon|volume=1: Inventaire des langues|language=fr|location=Yaoundé|publisher=CERDOTOLA|series=Atlas linguistique de l'Afrique centrale (ALAC)|isbn=9789956796069}}</ref>

== Phonology ==

=== Consonants === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! colspan="2" | !Labial !Alveolar !Palatal !Velar !Labio- velar !Glottal |- ! rowspan="4" |Plosive/ Affricate !voiceless |{{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|t}} |{{IPA link|t͡ʃ}} |{{IPA link|k}} |{{IPA link|k͡p}} |{{IPA link|ʔ}} |- !voiced |{{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|d}} |{{IPA link|d͡ʒ}} |{{IPA link|ɡ}} |{{IPA link|ɡ͡b}} | |- !prenasal |{{IPA link|ᵐb}} |{{IPA link|ⁿd}} |{{IPA link|ᶮd͡ʒ}} |{{IPA link|ᵑɡ}} |{{IPA link|ᵑᵐɡ͡b}} | |- !implosive |{{IPA link|ɓ}} |{{IPA link|ɗ}} | | | | |- ! rowspan="2" |Fricative !voiceless |{{IPA link|f}} |{{IPA link|s}} |{{IPA link|ʃ}} | | |{{IPA link|h}} |- !voiced |{{IPA link|v}} |{{IPA link|z}} |{{IPA link|ʒ}} | | | |- ! rowspan="2" |Nasal !voiced |{{IPA link|m}} |{{IPA link|n}} | |{{IPA link|ŋ}} | | |- !glottalized |{{IPA link|ˀm}} |{{IPA link|ˀn}} | | | | |- ! colspan="2" |Tap |{{IPA link|ⱱ}} |{{IPA link|ɾ}} | | | | |- ! colspan="2" |Lateral | |{{IPA link|l}} | | | | |- ! rowspan="2" |Glide !central | | |{{IPA link|j}} | |{{IPA link|w}} | |- !glottalized | | |{{IPA|ʔj}} | |{{IPA|ʔw}} | |}

* {{IPA|/ɓ, ɗ/}} may also be heard as laryngealized {{IPA|[ɓ̰, ɗ̰]}} among speakers. * {{IPA|/ʔw/}} can also be heard as two laryngealized allophones {{IPA|[ʔv̰, ʔw̰]}}. * Sounds {{IPA|/ɓ, k/}} may be heard as fricatives {{IPA|[β, ɣ]}} in intervocalic positions. * {{IPA|/h, w/}} may be heard as palatal {{IPA|[ç, ɥ]}} when preceding {{IPA|/i/}}. * {{IPA|/ɾ/}} can also range to a retroflex {{IPA|[ɽ]}} among dialects or a trill {{IPA|[r]}} when geminated.

=== Vowels === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+Oral vowels ! !Front !Central !Back |- !Close |{{IPA link|i}} {{IPA link|iː}} | rowspan="3" |{{IPA link|ə}} |{{IPA link|u}} {{IPA link|uː}} |- !Near-close |{{IPA link|ɪ}} {{IPA link|ɪː}} |{{IPA link|ʊ}} {{IPA link|ʊː}} |- !Close-mid |{{IPA link|e}} {{IPA link|eː}} |{{IPA link|o}} {{IPA link|oː}} |- !Open-mid |{{IPA link|ɛ}} {{IPA link|ɛː}} | |{{IPA link|ɔ}} {{IPA link|ɔː}} |- !Open | |{{IPA link|a}} {{IPA link|aː}} | |}

* {{IPA|/ə/}} may also range to a close {{IPA|[ɨ]}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Elders |first=Stefan |title=Grammaire Mundang |publisher=Leiden University |year=2000}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Elders |first=Stefan |title=Issues in comparative Kebi-Benue (Adamawa) |year=2006 |location=In Africana Linguistica 12 |pages=37–88}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+Nasal vowels ! !Front !Central !Back |- !Close |{{IPA link|ĩ}} {{IPA link|ĩː}} | |{{IPA link|ũː}} |- !Near-close |{{IPA link|ɪ̃}} {{IPA link|ɪ̃ː}} | |{{IPA link|ʊ̃ː}} |- !Open-mid |{{IPA link|ɛ̃ː}} | |{{IPA link|ɔ̃ː}} |- !Open | |{{IPA link|ã}} {{IPA link|ãː}} | |} ==Writing system== {| class="wikitable" |+ Mundang alphabet |- ! Majuscules | A || B || Ɓ || C || D | Ɗ || E || Ə || F || G | H || I || J || K || L | M || N || Ŋ || O || P | R || S || T || U || V | W || Y || Z |- ! Minuscules | a || b || ɓ || c || d | ɗ || e || ə || f || g | h || i || j || k || l | m || n || ŋ || o || p | r || s || t || u || v | w || y || z |} Nasalization is marked by a tilde: ã, ẽ, ə̃, ĩ, õ

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Languages of Chad Category:Languages of Cameroon Category:Mbum languages