Mfumte language

{{Infobox language

|name=Mfumte

|nativename=

|region=Cameroon

|ethnicity=Mfumte

|speakers=24,700 Mfumte dialect

|date=1982

|speakers2=6,000 Kwaja and Ndaktup (2000), unknown number Fum

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Niger-Congo

|fam2=Atlantic–Congo

|fam3=Benue–Congo

|fam4=Southern Bantoid

|fam5=Grassfields

|fam6=Eastern

|fam7=Nkambe

|lc1=nfu |ld1=Mfumte

|lc2=fum |ld2=Fum

|lc3=kdz |ld3=Kwaja (East Mfumte)

|glotto=mfum1239

|glottoname=Mfumteic

|glotto2=fumm1238

|glottoname2=Fum

}}

Mfumte (Nfumte) is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon. It is not clear if the four varieties spoken by ethnic Mfumte—Ndaktup, Kwaja, Fum and Mfumte proper—are mutually intelligible or distinct languages; ability to communicate may be either due to inherent intelligibility or to bilingualism, while Fum and Mfumte may simply be the Nigerian and Cameroonian names for the same language.

Orthography

The Mfumte alphabet has 40 letters, with 30 consonants and 10 vowels.{{cite web |url=http://www.silcam.org/documents/MfumteOrthographyGuide-u.pdf |title=Mfumte Orthography Guide|first1=Julius A. |last1=Eyoh |first2=Robert |last2=Hedinger |date=June 2008 |access-date=March 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316151900/http://www.silcam.org/documents/MfumteOrthographyGuide-u.pdf |archive-date=2018-03-16}}

= Alphabet =

rowspan=2\|Capital	rowspan=2\|Lowercase	colspan=2\|IPA
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Mfumte alphabet
Phoneme	Allophones
A	a	{{IPAslink\|a}}	{{IPAblink\|a}}
B	b	{{IPAslink\|b}}	{{IPAblink\|b}}
Ch	ch	{{IPAslink\|t͡ʃ}}	{{IPAblink\|t͡ʃ}}
D	d	{{IPAslink\|d}}	{{IPAblink\|d}}
Dz	dz	{{IPAslink\|d͡z}}	{{IPAblink\|d͡z}}
E	e	{{IPAslink\|e}}	{{IPAblink\|e}}, {{IPAblink\|ɛ}}
Ə	ə	{{IPAslink\|ə}}	{{IPAblink\|ə}}
F	f	{{IPAslink\|f}}	{{IPAblink\|f}}
G	g	{{IPAslink\|g}}	{{IPAblink\|g}}
Gb	gb	{{IPAslink\|gb}}	{{IPAblink\|gb}}
Gh	gh	{{IPAslink\|ɣ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɣ}}
H	h	rowspan=2\|{{IPAslink\|h}}	{{IPAblink\|h}}
’	’	{{IPAblink\|ʔ}}
I	i	{{IPAslink\|i}}	{{IPAblink\|i}}
Ɨ	ɨ	{{IPAslink\|ɯ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɯ}}
J	j	{{IPAslink\|d͡ʒ}}	{{IPAblink\|d͡ʒ}}
K	k	{{IPAslink\|k}}	{{IPAblink\|k}}
Kp	kp	{{IPAslink\|kp}}	{{IPAblink\|kp}}
L	l	{{IPAslink\|l}}	{{IPAblink\|l}}
M	m	{{IPAslink\|m}}	{{IPAblink\|m}}
N	n	{{IPAslink\|n}}	{{IPAblink\|n}}
Ny	ny	{{IPAslink\|ɲ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɲ}}
Ŋ	ŋ	{{IPAslink\|ŋ}}	{{IPAblink\|ŋ}}
O	o	{{IPAslink\|o}}	{{IPAblink\|o}}
Ɔ	ɔ	{{IPAslink\|ɔ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɔ}}
Ø	ø	{{IPAslink\|ø}}	{{IPAblink\|ø}}
P	p	{{IPAslink\|p}}	{{IPAblink\|p}}
R	r	{{IPAslink\|ɾ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɾ}}
S	s	{{IPAslink\|s}}	{{IPAblink\|s}}
Sh	sh	{{IPAslink\|ʃ}}	{{IPAblink\|ʃ}}
T	t	{{IPAslink\|t}}	{{IPAblink\|t}}
Ts	ts	{{IPAslink\|t͡s}}	{{IPAblink\|t͡s}}
U	u	{{IPAslink\|u}}	{{IPAblink\|u}}
Ʉ	ʉ	{{IPAslink\|y}}	{{IPAblink\|y}}
V	v	{{IPAslink\|v}}	{{IPAblink\|v}}
W	w	{{IPAslink\|w}}	{{IPAblink\|w}}
Wy	wy	{{IPAslink\|ɥ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɥ}}
Y	y	{{IPAslink\|j}}	{{IPAblink\|j}}
Z	z	{{IPAslink\|z}}	{{IPAblink\|z}}
Zh	zh	{{IPAslink\|ʒ}}	{{IPAblink\|ʒ}}

= Multigraphs =

In addition to the single phonemes, Mfumte has prenasalized, palatalized, labio-palatalized, labialized, and velarized consonants.

Capital	Lowercase	IPA
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Mfumte multigraphs
Mp	mp	{{IPAslink\|ᵐp}}
Mb	mb	{{IPAslink\|ᵐb}}
Nt	nt	{{IPAslink\|ⁿt}}
Nd	nd	{{IPAslink\|ⁿd}}
Nk	nk	{{IPAslink\|ᵑk}}
Ng	ng	{{IPAslink\|ᵑɡ}}
Nkp	nkp	{{IPAslink\|ᵑᵐkp}}
Ngb	ngb	{{IPAslink\|ᵑᵐgb}}
Nts	nts	{{IPAslink\|ⁿt͡s}}
Ndz	ndz	{{IPAslink\|ⁿd͡z}}
Nj	nj	{{IPAslink\|ⁿd͡ʒ}}
Mf	mf	{{IPAslink\|ᶬf}}
Mv	mv	{{IPAslink\|ᶬv}}
Ns	ns	{{IPAslink\|ⁿs}}
Nsh	nsh	{{IPAslink\|ⁿʃ}}
Ngh	ngh	{{IPAslink\|ᵑɣ}}
Nh	nh	{{IPAslink\|ᵑh}}
Py	py	{{IPAslink\|pʲ}}
By	by	{{IPAslink\|bʲ}}
Ky	ky	{{IPAslink\|kʲ}}
Gy	gy	{{IPAslink\|gʲ}}
Hy	hy	{{IPAslink\|hʲ}}
Mpy	mpy	{{IPAslink\|ᵐpʲ}}
Mby	mby	{{IPAslink\|ᵐbʲ}}
Nky	nky	{{IPAslink\|ᵑkʲ}}
Ngy	ngy	{{IPAslink\|ᵑgʲ}}
Mfy	mfy	{{IPAslink\|ᶬfʲ}}
Nghy	nghy	{{IPAslink\|ᵑɣʲ}}
Nhy	nhy	{{IPAslink\|ᵑhʲ}}
Hwy	hwy	{{IPAslink\|hᶣ}}
Nhwy	nhwy	{{IPAslink\|ᵑhᶣ}}
Nghwy	nghwy	{{IPAslink\|ᵑɣᶣ}}
Pw	pw	{{IPAslink\|pʷ}}
Kw	kw	{{IPAslink\|kʷ}}
Gw	gw	{{IPAslink\|gʷ}}
Fw	fw	{{IPAslink\|fʷ}}
Hw	hw	{{IPAslink\|hʷ}}
Nyw	nyw	{{IPAslink\|ɲʷ}}
Nw	nw	{{IPAslink\|nʷ}}
Nkw	nkw	{{IPAslink\|ᵑkʷ}}
Ngw	ngw	{{IPAslink\|ᵑgʷ}}
Nghw	nghw	{{IPAslink\|ᵑɣʷ}}
Nhw	nhw	{{IPAslink\|ᵑhʷ}}
Bw	bw	{{IPA\|/bᶭ/}}
Mbw	mbw	{{IPAslink\|ᵐbᶭ}}

References

External links

[http://www.silcam.org/documents/CentralMfumteGrammarSketchFINALJUNE242014.pdf A Sketch Grammar of the Central Mfumte Language] An introduction to the Mfumte language and a description of its grammar rules
[http://www.silcam.org/documents/ConflictResolutionSystemsInWuliCulture2013.pdf Conflict Resolution Systems in Wulí’ Culture] A description of language conflict including the Mfumte language

Category:Languages of Cameroon

Category:Nkambe languages

rowspan=2\|Capital	rowspan=2\|Lowercase	colspan=2\|IPA
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Mfumte alphabet
Phoneme	Allophones
A	a	{{IPAslink\|a}}	{{IPAblink\|a}}
B	b	{{IPAslink\|b}}	{{IPAblink\|b}}
Ch	ch	{{IPAslink\|t͡ʃ}}	{{IPAblink\|t͡ʃ}}
D	d	{{IPAslink\|d}}	{{IPAblink\|d}}
Dz	dz	{{IPAslink\|d͡z}}	{{IPAblink\|d͡z}}
E	e	{{IPAslink\|e}}	{{IPAblink\|e}}, {{IPAblink\|ɛ}}
Ə	ə	{{IPAslink\|ə}}	{{IPAblink\|ə}}
F	f	{{IPAslink\|f}}	{{IPAblink\|f}}
G	g	{{IPAslink\|g}}	{{IPAblink\|g}}
Gb	gb	{{IPAslink\|gb}}	{{IPAblink\|gb}}
Gh	gh	{{IPAslink\|ɣ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɣ}}
H	h	rowspan=2\|{{IPAslink\|h}}	{{IPAblink\|h}}
’	’	{{IPAblink\|ʔ}}
I	i	{{IPAslink\|i}}	{{IPAblink\|i}}
Ɨ	ɨ	{{IPAslink\|ɯ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɯ}}
J	j	{{IPAslink\|d͡ʒ}}	{{IPAblink\|d͡ʒ}}
K	k	{{IPAslink\|k}}	{{IPAblink\|k}}
Kp	kp	{{IPAslink\|kp}}	{{IPAblink\|kp}}
L	l	{{IPAslink\|l}}	{{IPAblink\|l}}
M	m	{{IPAslink\|m}}	{{IPAblink\|m}}
N	n	{{IPAslink\|n}}	{{IPAblink\|n}}
Ny	ny	{{IPAslink\|ɲ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɲ}}
Ŋ	ŋ	{{IPAslink\|ŋ}}	{{IPAblink\|ŋ}}
O	o	{{IPAslink\|o}}	{{IPAblink\|o}}
Ɔ	ɔ	{{IPAslink\|ɔ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɔ}}
Ø	ø	{{IPAslink\|ø}}	{{IPAblink\|ø}}
P	p	{{IPAslink\|p}}	{{IPAblink\|p}}
R	r	{{IPAslink\|ɾ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɾ}}
S	s	{{IPAslink\|s}}	{{IPAblink\|s}}
Sh	sh	{{IPAslink\|ʃ}}	{{IPAblink\|ʃ}}
T	t	{{IPAslink\|t}}	{{IPAblink\|t}}
Ts	ts	{{IPAslink\|t͡s}}	{{IPAblink\|t͡s}}
U	u	{{IPAslink\|u}}	{{IPAblink\|u}}
Ʉ	ʉ	{{IPAslink\|y}}	{{IPAblink\|y}}
V	v	{{IPAslink\|v}}	{{IPAblink\|v}}
W	w	{{IPAslink\|w}}	{{IPAblink\|w}}
Wy	wy	{{IPAslink\|ɥ}}	{{IPAblink\|ɥ}}
Y	y	{{IPAslink\|j}}	{{IPAblink\|j}}
Z	z	{{IPAslink\|z}}	{{IPAblink\|z}}
Zh	zh	{{IPAslink\|ʒ}}	{{IPAblink\|ʒ}}