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Guere language

{{Short description|Kru language spoken in Ivory Coast}}

{{distinguish|Neyo language}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Guéré

|nativename=Wè, Wɛɛ

|states=Ivory Coast

|region=Dix-Huit Montagnes, Moyen-Cavally

|speakers={{sigfig|422,000|1}}

|date=2017

|ref=e25

|familycolor=Niger-Congo

|fam2=Atlantic–Congo

|fam3=Kru

|fam4=Western Kru

|fam5=Wee

|fam6=Guere–Krahn

|lc1=gxx

|ld1=Central Gere {{nowrap|(Southern Wee)}}

|lc2=wec

|ld2=Neyo {{nowrap|(Western Wee)}}

|glotto=guer1240

|glottorefname=Guere

|notice=IPA

}}

Guéré (Gere), also called Wè (Wee), is a Kru language spoken by over 300,000 people in the Dix-Huit Montagnes and Moyen-Cavally regions of Ivory Coast.

Phonology

The phonology of Guere (here the Zagna dialect of Central Guere / Southern Wè){{cite book|last=Paradis|first=Carole|year=1983|title=Description phonologique du guéré|location=Abidjan|publisher=Institut de Linguistique Appliquée, Université d'Abidjan}} is briefly sketched out below.

=Consonants=

The consonant phonemes are as follows:

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
colspan="2" |

! Labial

! Alveolar

! Palatal

! Velar

! Labial-
velar

! Labialized
velar

rowspan="3" | Stops

! {{small|voiceless}}

| {{IPA link|p}}

| {{IPA link|t}}

| {{IPA link|c}}

| {{IPA link|k}}

| {{IPA link|k͡p}}

| {{IPA link|kʷ}}

{{small|voiced}}

| {{IPA link|b}}

| {{IPA link|d}}

| {{IPA link|ɟ}}

| {{IPA link|ɡ}}

| {{IPA link|ɡ͡b}}

| {{IPA link|ɡʷ}}

{{small|implosive}}

| {{IPA link|ɓ}}

|

|

|

|

|

colspan="2" | Nasal

| {{IPA link|m}}

| {{IPA link|n}}

| {{IPA link|ɲ}}

|

|

|

rowspan="2" | Fricative

! {{small|voiceless}}

| {{IPA link|f}}

| {{IPA link|s}}

|

|

|

|

{{small|voiced}}

| {{IPA link|v}}

| {{IPA link|z}}

|

|

|

|

colspan="2" | Approximant

|

| {{IPA link|l}}

| {{IPA link|j}}

|

|

| {{IPA link|w}}

Allophones of some of these phonemes include:

  • {{IPA|[k͡m]}} is an allophone of {{IPA|/k͡p/}} before nasal vowels
  • {{IPAblink|ŋ͡m}} is an allophone of {{IPA|/ɡ͡b/}} before nasal vowels
  • {{IPAblink|ŋʷ}} is an allophone of {{IPA|/w/}} before nasal vowels
  • {{IPAblink|ɗ}} is an allophone of {{IPA|/l/}} in word-initial position
  • {{IPAblink|r}} is an allophone of {{IPA|/l/}} after a coronal consonant (alveolar or palatal)

In addition, while the nasal consonants {{IPA|/m, n/}} and contrast with {{IPA|/ɓ/}} and {{IPA|/l/}} before oral vowels, and are thus separate phonemes, before nasal vowels only the nasal consonants occur. {{IPA|/ɓ/}} and {{IPA|/l/}} do not occur before nasal vowels, suggesting that historically a phonemic merger between these sounds and the nasals {{IPA|/m, n/}} may have occurred in this position.

=Vowels=

Like many West African languages, Guere makes use of a contrast between vowels with advanced tongue root and those with retracted tongue root. In addition, nasal vowels contrast phonemically with oral vowels.

class="wikitable"

! rowspan=2 |  

! colspan=2 | Oral

! colspan=2 | Nasal

Front

! Back

! Front

! Back

Close (ATR)

| {{IPA|i}} || {{IPA|u}} || {{IPA|ĩ}} || {{IPA|ũ}}

Close (RTR)

| {{IPA|ɪ}} || {{IPA|ʊ}} || {{IPA|ɪ̃}} || {{IPA|ʊ̃}}

Mid (ATR)

| {{IPA|e}} || {{IPA|o}} ||   || {{IPA|õ}}

Mid (RTR)

| {{IPA|ɛ}} || {{IPA|ɔ}} || {{IPA|ɛ̃}} || {{IPA|ɔ̃}}

Open (RTR)

|   || {{IPA|a}} ||   || {{IPA|ã}}

=Tones=

Guere is a tonal language and contrasts ten tones:

class=wikitable

! Tone

! IPA

! Example

! Gloss

Low

|  {{IPA|˩}} || {{IPA|ɡ͡ba˩}} ||"to scatter"

Mid

|  {{IPA|˧}} || {{IPA|ɡ͡ba˧}} ||"to destroy"

High

|  {{IPA|˦}} || {{IPA|mɛ˦}} ||"to die"

Top

|  {{IPA|˥}} || {{IPA|ji˥}} ||"full"

Low–high rising

|  {{IPA|˩˦}} || {{IPA|ɡ͡bla˩˦}} ||"hat"

Low–top rising

|  {{IPA|˩˥}} || {{IPA|k͡plɔ̃˩˥}} ||"banana"

Mid–high rising

|  {{IPA|˧˦}} || {{IPA|ɓlo˧˦}} ||"wall"

High–top rising

|  {{IPA|˦˥}} || {{IPA|de˦˥}} ||"younger brother"

High–low falling

|  {{IPA|˦˩}} || {{IPA|ɡ͡ba˩a˦˩}} ||"goat"

Mid–low falling

|  {{IPA|˧˩}} || {{IPA|sre˧˩}} ||"penis"

See also

  • Wobe {{a.k.a.}} Northern Wè

References

{{Languages of Côte d'Ivoire}}

{{Kru languages}}

Category:Wee languages

Category:Languages of Ivory Coast