West Teke language

{{Short description|Bantu dialect continuum of Central Africa}} {{Infobox language |name=West Teke |nativename= |states=[[Republic of Congo]], [[Gabon]] |region= |ethnicity=[[Teke people|Teke]], [[Bongo people (Gabon)|Bongo]] Pygmies |speakers={{sigfig|122,400|2}} |dateprefix=ca. |date=2000 |ref = e18 |speakers2=(some figures undated) |familycolor=Niger-Congo |fam2=[[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]] |fam3=[[Benue–Congo languages|Benue–Congo]] |fam4=[[Bantoid languages|Bantoid]] |fam5=[[Bantu languages|Bantu]] ([[Guthrie classification of Bantu languages#Zone B|Zone B]]) |fam6=[[Nzebi languages|Nzebi]] (B.50) (traditionally [[Teke languages|Teke]], B.70) |lc1=tyi |ld1=Tsaayi |lc2=lli |ld2=Laali |lc3=iyx |ld3=Yaa |lc4=tyx |ld4=Tyee (Kwe) |guthrie=B.73 |glotto=west2969 |glottoname=West Kasai-Ngounie }}

'''West Teke''' is a [[Bantu language]] spoken in the [[Republic of Congo]] and [[Gabon]].

West Teke is a [[dialect continuum]]. The varieties are Tsaayi (Ge-Tsaya, Tyaye, Tsayi), Laali, Yaa (Yaka), and Tyee (Tee, Kwe). The dominant variety by far is Tsaayi.

== Phonology ==

=== Consonants === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! colspan="2" | ![[Labial consonant|Labial]] ![[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]] ![[Palatal consonant|Palatal]] ![[Velar consonant|Velar]] ![[Labialized velar consonant|Labio- velar]] ![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]] |- ! colspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]] |{{IPA link|m}} |{{IPA link|n}} |{{IPA link|ɲ}} |{{IPA link|ŋ}} |{{IPA link|ŋ͡m}} | |- ! rowspan="4" |[[Plosive]] !voiceless |{{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|t}} | |{{IPA link|k}} |{{IPA link|k͡p}} | |- !voiced |{{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|d}} | |{{IPA link|ɡ}} | | |- !prenasal vl. |{{IPA link|ᵐp}} |{{IPA link|ⁿt}} | |{{IPA link|ᵑk}} |{{IPA link|ᵑk͡p}} | |- !prenasal vd. |{{IPA link|ᵐb}} |{{IPA link|ⁿd}} | |{{IPA link|ᵑɡ}} |{{IPA link|ᵑɡ͡b}} | |- ! rowspan="4" |[[Affricate]] !voiceless |{{IPA link|p͡f}} |{{IPA link|t͡s}} | | | | |- !voiced |{{IPA link|b͡v}} |{{IPA link|d͡z}} | | | | |- !prenasal vl. |{{IPA link|ᵐp͡f}} |{{IPA link|ⁿt͡s}} | | | | |- !prenasal vd. |{{IPA link|ᵐb͡v}} |{{IPA link|ⁿd͡z}} | | | | |- ! colspan="2" |[[Fricative]] |{{IPA link|f}} |{{IPA link|s}} | |{{IPA link|ɣ}} | |{{IPA link|h}} |- ! colspan="2" |[[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]] | |{{IPA link|ɾ}} | | | | |- ! colspan="2" |[[Approximant]] |({{IPA link|ɥ}}) |{{IPA link|l}} |{{IPA link|j}} | |{{IPA link|w}} | |}

* Sounds /k͡p, ᵑk͡p, ᵑɡ͡b/ are sometimes pronounced as labialized sounds [kʷ, ᵑkʷ, ᵑɡʷ]. * /ɡ/ when preceding /w/ or /j/, may labialize or palatalize as [ɡʷ, ɡʲ]. * /s/ may often be pronounced as [ʃ] when before /u/ or /w/. * /j/ when preceding a /w/ or /u/, is pronounced as a labial-palatal [ɥ]. * /t͡s, ⁿt͡s, d͡z, ⁿd͡z/ may also be pronounced as [t͡ʃ, ⁿt͡ʃ, d͡ʒ, ⁿd͡ʒ] when before /u/, /w/ or /j/.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ntsiba Ngolo |first=Edouard |title=Petit guide d’orthographique et de grammaire du Téké du sud-ouest |last2=Raharimanantsoa |first2=Ruth |publisher=Brazzaville: SIL Congo |year=2015}}</ref>

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

* Sounds /ɛ, ɔ/ may also be heard as more closed [e, o] in different positions. * Vowel length is also distinctive.

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == [https://www.webonary.org/teke-tyee/?lang=en Dictionnaire Teke-Tyee]{{Pygmy languages}} {{Languages of Gabon}} {{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones A–B)}}

[[Category:Languages of Gabon]] [[Category:Nzebi languages]] [[Category:Teke languages]]