Bena language

{{Infobox language

|name=Bena

|nativename={{lang|bez|Ekibena}}

|states=Tanzania

|ethnicity=Bena

|speakers= {{sigfig|592,000|2}}

|date=2009

|ref=e26

|familycolor=Niger-Congo

|fam2=Atlantic–Congo

|fam3=Benue–Congo

|fam4=Bantoid

|fam5=Bantu

|fam6=Northeast Bantu

|fam7=Bena–Kinga (G60)

|dia1=Bena

|dia2=Benamanga

|lc1=bez|ld1=Bena

|lc2=egm|ld2=Benemanga (includes Kidugala and Lupembe dialects)

|glotto=bena1262

|glottorefname=Bena (Tanzania)

|lingua=[http://linguasphere.info/?page=linguascale&linguacode=99-AUS-ub 99-AUS-ub] incl. varieties 99-AUS-uba...-ubg

|guthrie=G.63

}}

Bena is a Bantu language spoken by the Bena people of the Iringa region of Tanzania.

Phonology

= Consonants =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="2" \| !Labial !Alveolar !Palatal !Velar !Glottal
colspan="2" \|Nasal \| {{IPAlink\|m}} \| {{IPAlink\|n}} \| {{IPAlink\|ɲ}} \| {{IPAlink\|ŋ}} \|
rowspan="3" \|Plosive !voiceless \| {{IPAlink\|p}} \| {{IPAlink\|t}} \| \| {{IPAlink\|k}} \|
voiced \| {{IPAlink\|b}} \| {{IPAlink\|d}} \| \| {{IPAlink\|ɡ}} \|
prenasal \| {{IPAlink\|ᵐb}} \| {{IPAlink\|ⁿd}} \| \| {{IPAlink\|ᵑɡ}} \|
colspan="2" \|Affricate \| \| {{IPAlink\|ts}} \| \| \|
rowspan="3" \|Fricative !voiceless \| {{IPAlink\|f}} \| {{IPAlink\|s}} \| \| \| {{IPAlink\|h}}
voiced \| {{IPAlink\|v}} \| \| \| \|
prenasal \| \| {{IPAlink\|ⁿs}} \| \| \|
colspan="2" \|Approximant \| \| {{IPAlink\|l}} \| {{IPAlink\|j}} \| {{IPAlink\|w}} \|

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! colspan="2" |

colspan="2" |Nasal

| {{IPAlink|m}}

| {{IPAlink|n}}

| {{IPAlink|ɲ}}

| {{IPAlink|ŋ}}

rowspan="3" |Plosive

!voiceless

| {{IPAlink|p}}

| {{IPAlink|t}}

| {{IPAlink|k}}

voiced

| {{IPAlink|b}}

| {{IPAlink|d}}

| {{IPAlink|ɡ}}

prenasal

| {{IPAlink|ᵐb}}

| {{IPAlink|ⁿd}}

| {{IPAlink|ᵑɡ}}

colspan="2" |Affricate

| {{IPAlink|ts}}

rowspan="3" |Fricative

!voiceless

| {{IPAlink|f}}

| {{IPAlink|s}}

| {{IPAlink|h}}

voiced

| {{IPAlink|v}}

prenasal

| {{IPAlink|ⁿs}}

colspan="2" |Approximant

| {{IPAlink|l}}

| {{IPAlink|j}}

| {{IPAlink|w}}

Voiceless sounds almost always occur as aspirated stops; [{{IPAlink|pʰ}}, {{IPAlink|tʰ}}, {{IPAlink|kʰ}}].

/{{IPAlink|v}}/ can be realized as [{{IPAlink|ʋ}}] intervocalically.
[{{IPAlink|ɖ}}] can occur as an allophone of /{{IPAlink|d}}/ before long non high vowels.
[{{IPAlink|x}}] can occur as an allophone of /{{IPAlink|k}}/, /{{IPAlink|h}}/ in the Maswamu dialect.
[{{IPAlink|cç}}, {{IPAlink|tʃ}}] can occur as allophones of /{{IPAlink|ts}}/, in the Twangabita dialect.
[{{IPAlink|ⁿz}}] can occur as an allophone of /{{IPAlink|ⁿs}}/.
[{{IPAlink|ɟ}}] can occur as an allophone of /{{IPAlink|j}}/ in the Maswamu dialect.
[{{IPAlink|β}}, {{IPAlink|ʋ}}] can occur as allophones of /{{IPAlink|w}}/ among some speakers.
Prenasalised stops may be devoiced when occurring word-finally (ex. /{{IPAlink|ᵐb}}/ ~ [ᵐb̥]).

= Vowels =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! !Front !Central !Back
High \| {{IPAlink\|i}} {{IPAlink\|iː}} \| \| {{IPAlink\|u}} {{IPAlink\|uː}}
Mid \|{{IPAlink\|ɛ}} {{IPAlink\|eː}} \| \|{{IPAlink\|o}} {{IPAlink\|oː}}
Low \| \|{{IPAlink\|a}} {{IPAlink\|aː}} \|

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

| {{IPAlink|i}} {{IPAlink|iː}}

| {{IPAlink|u}} {{IPAlink|uː}}

Mid

|{{IPAlink|ɛ}} {{IPAlink|eː}}

|{{IPAlink|o}} {{IPAlink|oː}}

Low

|{{IPAlink|a}} {{IPAlink|aː}}

/{{IPAlink|i}}, {{IPAlink|u}}/ before non-rounded vowels are recognized as glides [{{IPAlink|j}}, {{IPAlink|w}}].{{harvp|Morrison|2011}}

References

{{Cite thesis |last=Morrison |first=Michelle Elizabeth |title=A Reference Grammar of Bena |date=2011 |degree=Doctor of Philosophy |publisher=Rice University |url=https://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/70359 |hdl=1911/70359 |hdl-access=free }}

Category:Languages of Tanzania

Category:Northeast Bantu languages