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Songe language

{{Short description|Bantu language spoken in DR Congo}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Songe

|nativename=

|states=Democratic Republic of the Congo

|region=Kasai-Oriental province

|speakers=1 million

|date=1991

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Niger-Congo

|fam2=Atlantic–Congo

|fam3=Benue–Congo

|fam4=Bantoid

|fam5=Bantu

|fam6=Luban

|fam7=Songe–Binji

|iso3=sop

|glotto=song1303

|glottorefname=Songe

|guthrie=L.23

}}

Songe, also known as Songye, Kisonge, Lusonge, Yembe, and Northeast Luba, is a Bantu language spoken by the Songye people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ethnologue notes that Songe is "related" to Mbagani, which they do not include in their database. Maho (2009) labels as "Mbagani (Binji)" one of the two geographic areas Ethnologue assigns to Songe, but says that it is closer to Lwalu; he says that it is a different language, Binji, that is close to Songe.

Phonology

= Vowels =

A five vowel system with vowel length is present:

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

!

!Front

!Central

!Back

Close

| {{IPA link|i}} {{IPA link|iː}}

|

| {{IPA link|u}} {{IPA link|uː}}

Mid

| {{IPA link|e}} {{IPA link|eː}}

|

| {{IPA link|o}} {{IPA link|oː}}

Open

|

| {{IPA link|a}} {{IPA link|aː}}

|

= Consonants =

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

! colspan="2" |

!Labial

!Alveolar

!Post-alv./
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|tʃ}}

|{{IPA link|k}}

vl. prenasal

|{{IPA link|ᵐp}}

|{{IPA link|ⁿt}}

|{{IPA link|ⁿtʃ}}

|{{IPA link|ᵑk}}

voiced

|{{IPA link|b}}

|{{IPA link|d}}

|

|{{IPA link|ɡ}}

vd. prenasal

|{{IPA link|ᵐb}}

|{{IPA link|ⁿd}}

|

|{{IPA link|ᵑɡ}}

rowspan="4" |Fricative

!voiceless

|{{IPA link|f}}

|{{IPA link|s}}

|{{IPA link|ʃ}}

|

vl. prenasal

|{{IPA link|ᶬf}}

|{{IPA link|ⁿs}}

|{{IPA link|ⁿʃ}}

|

voiced

|{{IPA link|v}}

|{{IPA link|z}}

|{{IPA link|ʒ}}

|

vd. prenasal

|{{IPA link|ᶬv}}

|{{IPA link|ⁿz}}

|{{IPA link|ⁿʒ}}

|

colspan="2" |Approximant

|

|{{IPA link|l}}

|{{IPA link|j}}

|{{IPA link|w}}

  • Palatalization [ʲ] and labialization [ʷ] is also present among consonant sounds.{{Cite book|last=Stappers|first=Leo|title=Morfologie van het Songye|publisher=Leuven: Katholieke Universiteit|year=1964}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Pygmy languages}}

{{Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo}}

{{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones J–M)}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Luban languages

Category:Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo