Login
Login

Manjak language

{{Short description|Bak language spoken in West Africa}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Manjak

|altname=Manjáku

|states=Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and the Gambia

|region=

|ethnicity=Manjack

|speakers={{sigfig|324,000|2}}

|date=2021–2022

|ref=e27

|dia1=Bok

|dia2=Ulekes

|dia3=Ucur

|dia4=Ulund

|dia5=Uyu

|dia6=Unuab

|dia7=Uteer

|dia8=Uyool

|dia9=Uyanga

|dia10=Undin

|dia11=Ubuey

|dia12=Uguejan

|dia13=Utimats

|dia14=Uroongaan

|familycolor=Niger-Congo

|fam2=Atlantic–Congo

|fam3=Senegambian

|fam4=Bak

|fam5=Manjaku–Papel

|script=Latin

|iso3=mfv

|glotto=mand1419

|glottorefname=Mandjak

}}

Manjak or Manjack ({{langx|fr|Manjak}}, {{lang|fr|Manjaque}}; {{langx|pt|Manjaco}}) or Njak is a Bak language of Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. The language is also known as Kanyop.

In 2006, the total number of speakers was estimated at 315,300, including 184,000 in Guinea-Bissau, 105,000 in Senegal and 26,300 in The Gambia.

Dialects

The Manjak dialects below are distinct enough that some might be considered separate languages.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

  • Bok (Babok, Sarar, Teixeira Pinto, Tsaam)
  • Likes-Utsia (Baraa, Kalkus)
  • Cur (Churo)
  • Lund
  • Yu (Pecixe, Siis, Pulhilh)
  • Unhate (Binhante, Bissau)

The Manjak dialects listed by Wilson (2007) areWilson, William André Auquier. 2007. Guinea Languages of the Atlantic group: description and internal classification. (Schriften zur Afrikanistik, 12.) Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

  • Canchungo (kancuŋuʔ) – central dialect
  • Baboque (babɔk) (formerly Teixeira Pinto) – eastern dialect
  • Churo ({{Transliteration|mfv|cuur}}) – northern dialect
  • Pecixe (locally called pəhlihl; otherwise pəsiis), on an island to the south
  • Calequisse (kaləkiis), to the west of Canchungo

Phonology

= Consonants =

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

! colspan="2" |

!Labial

!Alveolar

!Post-
alveolar

!(Alveolo-)
palatal

!Velar

colspan="2" |Nasal

| {{IPA link|m}}

| {{IPA link|n}}

|

| {{IPA link|ɲ}}

| {{IPA link|ŋ}}

rowspan="4" |Plosive/
Affricate

!voiceless

| {{IPA link|p}}

| {{IPA link|t}}

| {{IPA link|t̠͡ɹ̠̊˔}}

| {{IPA link|t͡ɕ}}

| {{IPA link|k}}

voiced

| {{IPA link|b}}

| {{IPA link|d}}

|

| {{IPA link|d͡ʑ}}

| {{IPA link|ɡ}}

prenasal vl.

| {{IPA link|ᵐp}}

| {{IPA link|ⁿt}}

| {{IPA link|ⁿt̠͡ɹ̠̊˔}}

| {{IPA link|ᶮt͡ɕ}}

| {{IPA link|ᵑk}}

prenasal vd.

| {{IPA link|ᵐb}}

| {{IPA link|ⁿd}}

|

| {{IPA link|ᶮd͡ʑ}}

| {{IPA link|ᵑɡ}}

rowspan="2" |Fricative

!voiceless

| {{IPA link|f}}

| {{IPA link|s}}

|

| ({{IPA link|ɕ}})

|

voiced

|

|

|

| ({{IPA link|ʑ}})

|

colspan="2" |Lateral

|

| {{IPA link|l}}

|

|

|

colspan="2" |Approximant

| {{IPA link|w}}

|

|

| {{IPA link|j}}

|

  • Sounds {{IPA|[ɕ, ʑ]}} are heard in free-fluctuation with affricates {{IPA|/t͡ɕ, d͡ʑ/}} in all positions except following nasals.
  • Sounds {{IPA|/b, d, ɡ/}} may also be lenited as {{IPA|[β, ɾ, ɣ]}} when in intervocalic or word-final positions. {{IPA|/d/}} can also be heard as a trill {{IPA|[r]}} in free variation with {{IPA|[ɾ]}} when in word-final positions.

= Vowels =

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

!

!Front

!Central

!Back

Close

| {{IPA link|i}}

|

| {{IPA link|u}}

Close-mid

| {{IPA link|ɪ}} ~ {{IPA link|e}}

| {{IPA link|ə}}

| {{IPA link|ʊ}} ~ {{IPA link|o}}

Open-mid

| {{IPA link|ɛ}}

| {{IPA link|ɐ}}

| {{IPA link|ɔ}}

Open

|

| {{IPA link|a}}

|

Only vowels {{IPA|/u/}} and {{IPA|/a/}} may also have lengthened equivalents; {{IPA|/uː/}} and {{IPA|/aː/}}.

  • Sounds {{IPA|/ɪ, ʊ/}} may also range to more mid sounds {{IPA|[e, o]}} in free variation.
  • /ɐ/ may have a central allophone as [ʌ̈].

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

|+Diphthongs

!

!Front

!Back

Close-mid

| {{IPA|iə}}

| {{IPA|uə}}

Open-mid

| {{IPA|iɐ}}

| {{IPA|uɐ}}

  • Sounds {{IPA|/iə, uə/}} may have some fluctuation with lengthened sounds {{IPA|[eː, oː]}}.{{Cite book |last=Karlik |first=Jan |title=A Manjako grammar with special reference to the nominal group |publisher=University of London |year=1972}}

Writing system

The official spelling system for Manjak established by the Senegalese government is regulated by Decree No. 2005-983 of 21 October 2005.

class="wikitable"

|+ Manjak alphabet (Senegal)

| A

BCDE

| Ë

FGHI

| J

KLMN

| Ñ

ŊOPR

| S

ŜT[illegible]U

| W

YZ
abcde

| ë

fghi

| j

klmn

| ñ

ŋopr

| s

ŝt[illegible]u

| w

yz

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

{{refbegin}}

  • {{Cite thesis |last=Karlik |first=Jan |title=A Manjako Grammar with Special Reference to the Nominal Group |date=1972 |degree=PhD |publisher=University of London |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/322011434 |language=en}}

{{refend}}

External links

  • [http://www.jo.gouv.sn/spip.php?article4793 Decree no. 2005-983 of 21 October 2005 relating to the spelling and the separation of words in Manjakú] via the website of the Journal officiel.

{{Languages of Senegal}}

{{Languages of the Gambia}}

{{Languages of Guinea-Bissau}}

{{Atlantic languages}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Papel languages

Category:Languages of Guinea-Bissau

Category:Languages of Senegal

Category:Languages of the Gambia

{{Atlantic-lang-stub}}

{{Senegal-stub}}

{{GuineaBissau-stub}}

{{Gambia-stub}}