Minyanka language

{{Short description|Senufo language spoken in Mali}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Minyaka

|nativename={{lang|myk|Mamara}}

|states=Mali

|speakers={{sigfig|738,000|2}}

|date=2000

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Niger-Congo

|fam2=Atlantic–Congo

|fam3=Senufo

|fam4=Suppire–Mamara

|iso3=myk

|glotto=mama1271

|glottorefname=Mamara Senoufo

|map=Mamara language.png

|mapcaption=Map showing where Mamara is spoken.

}}

Minyanka (also known as Mamara, Miniyanka, Minya, Mianka, Minianka, or Tupiire) is a northern Senufo language spoken by about 750,000 people in southeastern Mali. It is closely related to Supyire. Minyanka is one of the national languages of Mali.

Phonology

= Consonants =

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

! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |

! colspan="3" |Labial

! rowspan="2" |Alveolar

! rowspan="2" |Palatal

! colspan="2" |Velar

! rowspan="2" |Labio-
velar

! rowspan="2" |Pharyn-
geal

! rowspan="2" |Glottal

plain

!lab.

!pal.

!plain

!pal.

colspan="2" |Nasal

| {{IPA link|m}}

| {{IPA link|mʷ}}

| {{IPA link|mʲ}}

| {{IPA link|n}}

| {{IPA link|ɲ}}

| {{IPA link|ŋ}}

|

| {{IPA link|ŋ͡m}}

|

|

rowspan="3" |Plosive

!voiceless

| {{IPA link|p}}

| {{IPA link|pʷ}}

| {{IPA link|pʲ}}

| {{IPA link|t}}

| {{IPA link|c}}

| {{IPA link|k}}

| {{IPA link|kʲ}}

| {{IPA link|k͡p}}

|

| {{IPA link|ʔ}}

voiced

| {{IPA link|b}}

| {{IPA link|bʷ}}

|

| {{IPA link|d}}

| {{IPA link|ɟ}}

| {{IPA link|ɡ}}

| {{IPA link|ɡʲ}}

| {{IPA link|ɡ͡b}}

|

|

prenasal

| {{IPA link|ᵐb}}

|

|

| {{IPA link|ⁿd}}

| {{IPA link|ᶮɟ}}

| {{IPA link|ᵑɡ}}

|

|

|

|

rowspan="2" |Fricative

!voiceless

| {{IPA link|f}}

| {{IPA link|fʷ}}

| {{IPA link|fʲ}}

| {{IPA link|s}}

| {{IPA link|ʃ}}

|

|

|

|

| ({{IPA link|h}})

voiced

| {{IPA link|v}}

|

|

| {{IPA link|z}}

| {{IPA link|ʒ}}

|

|

|

| ({{IPA link|ʕ}})

| ({{IPA link|ɦ}})

colspan="2" |Rhotic

|

|

|

| {{IPA link|r}}

|

|

|

|

|

|

colspan="2" |Approximant

|

|

|

| {{IPA link|l}}

|{{IPA link|j}}

|{{IPA link|w}}

|{{IPA link|wʲ}}

|

|

|

  • A pharyngeal fricative [ʕ] is also typically heard when in between vowels, or as an allophone of /ɡ/ when in intervocalic position.
  • Glottal sounds [h, ɦ] are only heard in the Bla dialect, instead of labio-velar sounds /k͡p, ɡ͡b, ŋ͡m/.{{Cite book |last=Coulibaly |first=Sékou |title=Le minyanka parlé dans le cercle de Bla: une description phonologique et morphosyntaxique |publisher=Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris III |year=2020}}
  • Sounds /k, ɡ/ can also be heard as fricatives [x, ɣ] when in intervocalic positions.{{Cite book |last=Prost |first=André |title=Le Mambar |publisher=Dakar: Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, Université de Dakar |year=1964 |location=In Prost, André (ed.), Contribution à l'étude des langues voltaïques |pages=123–183}}

= Vowels =

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

!

!Front

!Central

!Back

Close

| {{IPA link|i}} {{IPA link|ĩ}}

|

| {{IPA link|u}} {{IPA link|ũ}}

Close-mid

| {{IPA link|e}}

| rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|ə}}

| {{IPA link|o}}

Open-mid

| {{IPA link|ɛ}} {{IPA link|ɛ̃}}

| {{IPA link|ɔ}} {{IPA link|ɔ̃}}

Open

|

| {{IPA link|a}} {{IPA link|ã}}

|

  • /u/ can also be heard as [y] when in the position of /j/.
  • /o/ can also be heard as [œ] when before a glottal /ʔ/.

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • Dombrowsky-Hahn, Klaudia (ed. by Miehe, Gudrun; Reineke, Brigitte; Roncador, Manfred von) (1999) Phénomènes de contact entre les langues Minyanka et Bambara (Sud du Mali). Köln: Rüdiger Köppe.
  • Prost, André (1964) Contributrion à l'étude des langues Voltaiques. Dakar: Institut Francophone de l'Afrique Noire.