Kpwe language

{{Infobox language

|name=Kpwe

|nativename=Mokpwe

|region=

|states=Cameroon

|ethnicity=Kpwe, Mboko

|speakers=25,000

|date=2000–2014

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Niger-Congo

|fam2=Atlantic–Congo

|fam3=Benue–Congo

|fam4=Bantoid

|fam5=Bantu (Zone A)

|fam6=Sawabantu (A.20)

|dia1=Kole

|dia2=Mboko

|lc1=bri|ld1=Kpwe

|lc2=bqm|ld2=Mboko (Wumboko)

|lc3=kme|ld3=Kole (Bakole)

|guthrie=A.21,22,231

|glotto=mokp1239

|glottoname=Mokpwe

|glotto2=wumb1241

|glottoname2=Wumboko

|glottorefname2=Wumboko-Bubia

|glotto3=bako1250

|glottoname3=Bakole

|ELP=538

|ELPname=Bakole

}}

Kpwe (Mokpwe) is a Bantu language of Cameroon. It is mutually intelligible with Kole, and probably with Mboko (Wumboko) as well.

There are multiple variants of the name: based on 'Kpwe' (Bakpwe, Mokpwe), on 'Kpe' (Mokpe), on 'Kweɾi' (Kwedi, Kweli, Kwili, Kwiri, Bakwedi, Bakwele, Bakweri, Vakweli, Bekwiri), as well as Ujuwa and Vambeng.

Phonology

The Kpwe phonological inventory is as follows,Atindogbé (2013) A grammatical sketch of Mòkpè (Bakweri), African Study Monographs, Suppl. 45: 5–163

=Vowels=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! ! Front ! Back
Close \| {{IPAlink\|i}} \| {{IPAlink\|u}}
Close-mid \| {{IPAlink\|e}} \| {{IPAlink\|o}}
Open-mid \| {{IPAlink\|ɛ}} \| {{IPAlink\|ɔ}}
Open \|colspan="2"\| {{IPAlink\|a}}

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

! Front

! Back

| {{IPAlink|i}}

| {{IPAlink|u}}

Close-mid

| {{IPAlink|e}}

| {{IPAlink|o}}

Open-mid

| {{IPAlink|ɛ}}

| {{IPAlink|ɔ}}

Open

|colspan="2"| {{IPAlink|a}}

=Consonants=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! colspan="2" \| ! Bilabial ! Coronal ! Palatal ! Velar ! Labiovelar
colspan="2" \|Nasal \| {{IPAlink\|m}} \| {{IPAlink\|n}} \| {{IPAlink\|ɲ}} \| \| {{IPAlink\|ŋʷ}} · {{IPAlink\|ŋm}}
rowspan="3" \|Plosive ! prenasal \| {{IPAlink\|ᵐb}} \| {{IPAlink\|ⁿd}} \| {{IPAlink\|ᶮdʒ}} \| {{IPAlink\|ᵑɡ}} \| {{IPAlink\|ᵑɡb}}
voiced \| ({{IPAlink\|b}}) \| \| {{IPAlink\|dʒ}} \| ({{IPAlink\|ɡ}}) \| {{IPAlink\|ɡb}}
voiceless \| ({{IPAlink\|p}}) \| {{IPAlink\|t}} \| \| {{IPAlink\|k}} \| {{IPAlink\|kp}}
rowspan="2" \|Fricative ! voiceless \| {{IPAlink\|ɸ}} \| \| \| \|
voiced \| {{IPAlink\|β}} \| \| \| \|
colspan="2" \|Rhotic \| \| {{IPA\|zr}}^§ \| \| \|
colspan="2" \|Lateral \| \| {{IPAlink\|l}} \| \| \|
colspan="2" \|Approximant \| \| \| {{IPAlink\|j}} \| \| {{IPAlink\|w}}

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

! colspan="2" |

! Bilabial

! Coronal

! Palatal

! Velar

! Labiovelar

colspan="2" |Nasal

| {{IPAlink|m}}

| {{IPAlink|n}}

| {{IPAlink|ɲ}}

| {{IPAlink|ŋʷ}} · {{IPAlink|ŋm}}

rowspan="3" |Plosive

! prenasal

| {{IPAlink|ᵐb}}

| {{IPAlink|ⁿd}}

| {{IPAlink|ᶮdʒ}}

| {{IPAlink|ᵑɡ}}

| {{IPAlink|ᵑɡb}}

voiced

| ({{IPAlink|b}})

| {{IPAlink|dʒ}}

| ({{IPAlink|ɡ}})

| {{IPAlink|ɡb}}

voiceless

| ({{IPAlink|p}})

| {{IPAlink|t}}

| {{IPAlink|k}}

| {{IPAlink|kp}}

rowspan="2" |Fricative

! voiceless

| {{IPAlink|ɸ}}

voiced

| {{IPAlink|β}}

colspan="2" |Rhotic

| {{IPA|zr}}^§

colspan="2" |Lateral

| {{IPAlink|l}}

colspan="2" |Approximant

| {{IPAlink|j}}

| {{IPAlink|w}}

^§{{IPA|/zr/}}, the 'liquidized alveolar fricative', may be realized as {{IPA|[zr]}}, {{IPA|[ʒr]}}, {{IPA|[rz]}} or {{IPA|[rʒ]}}. This sound is rendered {{IPA|/s/}} in some sources, and is cognate to {{IPA|/s/}} in Bubia.

{{IPA|/p/}} and {{IPA|/ɡ/}} in parentheses are only found in loans, while {{IPA|/b/}} is very uncommon and in many inflections freely alternates as {{IPA|[w]}}.

=Tone=

Kpwe contrasts five tones on short syllables: high, downstepped high, low, rising and falling.

References

Category:Sawabantu languages

Category:Languages of Cameroon

sw:Kiwumboko (lugha)