Oroko language

{{Infobox language

|name=Oroko

|nativename=Balondo

|region=Southwest and Kribi

|states=Cameroon

|speakers={{sigfig|106,000|2}}

|date=2000

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Niger-Congo

|fam2=Atlantic–Congo

|fam3=Benue–Congo

|fam4=Bantoid

|fam5=Bantu (Zone A)

|fam6=Sawabantu (A.10)

|dia1=Kundu

|dia2=Lue

|dia3=Mbonge

|dia4=Ekombe

|dia5=Londo ba Nanga

|dia6=Londo ba Diko

|dia7=Ngolo

|dia8=Bima

|dia9=Tanga or Batanga

|dia10=Koko

|iso3=bdu

|glotto=orok1266

|glottorefname=Oroko

|guthrie=A.101 (ex-A.11,12)

|script=Latin

}}

Oroko, also Bakundu-Balue or Balundu-Bima, is a Sawa Bantu dialect cluster spoken in Cameroon.

Varieties are Kundu/Nkundu (Lokundu, Bakundu), Lue (Lolue, Balue), Mbonge, Ekombe, Londo (Londo ba Nanga; cf. Londo), Londo ba Diko, Ngolo (Longolo; cf. Ngolo dialect), Bima, Tanga (Lotanga, Batanga), and Koko (Lokoko, Bakoko: distinct from Bakoko language). Maho (2009) treats these as ten distinct languages.

Phonology

= Consonants =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" \| ! rowspan="2" \|Bilabial ! rowspan="2" \|Labio- dental ! rowspan="2" \|Alveolar ! rowspan="2" \|Post-alv./ Palatal ! colspan="2" \|Velar ! rowspan="2" \|Labial- velar
plain !lab.
align="center" ! colspan="2" \|Nasal \|m \| \|n \|ɲ \|ŋ \| \|
align="center" ! rowspan="3" \|Plosive/ Affricate !voiceless \|p \| \|t \|t͡ʃ \|k \|kʷ{{Efn\|is heard in the dialects of Londo, Lokundu, Longolo, Lokoko, Lotanga.}} \|k͡p
align="center" !voiced \|b \| \|d \|d͡ʒ \| \|ɡʷ \|
prenasal \|ᵐb \| \|ⁿd \|ᶮd͡ʒ \|ᵑɡ \|ᵑɡʷ{{Efn\|is heard in the Lotanga dialect.}} \|ᵑᵐɡ͡b
align="center" ! rowspan="3" \|Fricative !voiceless \|ɸ{{Efn\|is a realization of /f/ across dialects.}} \|f \|s \| \| \| \|
align="center" !voiced/pren. \|β{{Efn\|is a realization of /b/ across dialects.}} \|ᶬf, ᶬv{{Efn\|is heard in the Longolo dialect.}} \| \| \| \| \|
prenasal \| \|ⁿf{{Efn\|is heard in the Lokoko dialect.}}, ⁿv{{Efn\|is heard in the Bima and Londo dialects.}} \| \| \| \| \|
align="center" ! colspan="2" \|Liquid \| \| \|l ~ r \| \| \| \|
align="center" ! colspan="2" \|Approximant \| \| \| \|j \| \| \|w

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

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

! rowspan="2" |Bilabial

! rowspan="2" |Labio-
dental

! rowspan="2" |Alveolar

! rowspan="2" |Post-alv./
Palatal

! colspan="2" |Velar

! rowspan="2" |Labial-
velar

plain

!lab.

align="center"

! colspan="2" |Nasal

|ɲ

|ŋ

align="center"

! rowspan="3" |Plosive/
Affricate

!voiceless

|t͡ʃ

|kʷ{{Efn|is heard in the dialects of Londo, Lokundu, Longolo, Lokoko, Lotanga.}}

|k͡p

align="center"

!voiced

|d͡ʒ

|ɡʷ

prenasal

|ᵐb

|ⁿd

|ᶮd͡ʒ

|ᵑɡ

|ᵑɡʷ{{Efn|is heard in the Lotanga dialect.}}

|ᵑᵐɡ͡b

align="center"

! rowspan="3" |Fricative

!voiceless

|ɸ{{Efn|is a realization of /f/ across dialects.}}

align="center"

!voiced/pren.

|β{{Efn|is a realization of /b/ across dialects.}}

|ᶬf, ᶬv{{Efn|is heard in the Longolo dialect.}}

prenasal

|ⁿf{{Efn|is heard in the Lokoko dialect.}}, ⁿv{{Efn|is heard in the Bima and Londo dialects.}}

align="center"

! colspan="2" |Liquid

|l ~ r

align="center"

! colspan="2" |Approximant

[r] is used interchangeably with /l/ among speakers.{{Cite book |last=Friesen |first=Dan T. |title=Oroko orthography development: Linguistic and sociolinguistic factors |publisher=University of North Dakota |year=2002}}

= Vowels =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! !Front !Central !Back
align="center" !Close \|i \| \|u
align="center" !Close-mid \|e \| \|o
Open-mid \|ɛ \| \|ɔ
align="center" !Open \| \|a \|

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

align="center"

align="center"

|ɛ

|ɔ

align="center"

!Open

Writing system

class="wikitable"

|+ Oroko alphabet{{cite book |author=Oroko Language Development Committee (OLDC) |title=ABC wa Oroko - The Oroko alphabet chart |publisher=OLDC |date=November 2004 |url=http://abcwaoroko.blogspot.com/p/abc-chart.html}}

| a

| ɛ

| kp

| ng

ngb

| o

| w

References

Category:Sawabantu languages

Category:Languages of Cameroon