Sukur language

{{Infobox language

|name=Sukur

|nativename=Sakwun

|states=Nigeria

|region=Adamawa State

|speakers={{sigfig|14800|2}}

|date=1992

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Afro-Asiatic

|fam2=Chadic

|fam3=Biu–Mandara

|fam4=Wandala–Mafa

|fam5=Wandala

|fam6=(A.6)

|iso3=syk

|glotto=suku1272

|glottorefname=Sukur

}}

File:Sukur_Adamawa_Nigeria.jpg

Sukur (Adikimmu Sukur, Gemasakun, Sakul, Sugur, Sakun) is a Biu–Mandara language of Madgali LGA, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Phonology

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Consonants{{cite thesis \|last=Thomas\|first=Michael F. \|date=2014\|title=A Grammar of Sakun (Sukur) \|degree=PhD \|publisher=University of Colorado \|url=https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/1c18dg03s}} !rowspan="2"\| !rowspan="2"\|Labial !colspan="2"\|Alveolar !rowspan="2"\|Palatal !rowspan="2"\|Velar !rowspan="2"\|Glottal
plain !lateral
Plosive \|{{IPA link\|p}} {{IPA link\|b}} \|{{IPA link\|t}} {{IPA link\|d}} \| \| \|{{IPA link\|k}} {{IPA link\|g}}, {{IPA link\|kʷ}} \|{{IPA link\|ʔ}}
Affricate \| \|{{IPA link\|ts}} {{IPA link\|dz}} \| \|{{IPA link\|tʃ}} {{IPA link\|dʒ}} \| \|
Prenasalized \|{{IPA link\|ᵐb}} \|{{IPA link\|ⁿd}}, {{IPA link\|ⁿz}} \| \|{{IPA link\|ⁿdʒ}} \|{{IPA link\|ᵑg}} \|
Implosive \|{{IPA link\|ɓ}} \|{{IPA link\|ɗ}} \| \| \| \|
Fricative \|{{IPA link\|f}} {{IPA link\|v}} \|{{IPA link\|s}} {{IPA link\|z}} \|{{IPA link\|ɬ}} {{IPA link\|ɮ}} \|{{IPA link\|ʃ}} {{IPA link\|ʒ}} \|{{IPA link\|x}} {{IPA link\|ɣ}} \|
Nasal \|{{IPA link\|m}} \|{{IPA link\|n}} \| \| \|{{IPA link\|ŋ}} \|
Approximant \|({{IPA link\|ⱱ}}) \|{{IPA link\|r}} \|{{IPA link\|l}} \|{{IPA link\|j}} \|{{IPA link\|w}} \|

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

|+Consonants{{cite thesis |last=Thomas|first=Michael F. |date=2014|title=A Grammar of Sakun (Sukur) |degree=PhD |publisher=University of Colorado |url=https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/1c18dg03s}}

!rowspan="2"|

!rowspan="2"|Labial

!colspan="2"|Alveolar

!rowspan="2"|Palatal

!rowspan="2"|Velar

!rowspan="2"|Glottal

plain

!lateral

Plosive

|{{IPA link|p}} {{IPA link|b}}

|{{IPA link|t}} {{IPA link|d}}

|{{IPA link|k}} {{IPA link|g}}, {{IPA link|kʷ}}

|{{IPA link|ʔ}}

Affricate

|{{IPA link|ts}} {{IPA link|dz}}

|{{IPA link|tʃ}} {{IPA link|dʒ}}

Prenasalized

|{{IPA link|ᵐb}}

|{{IPA link|ⁿd}}, {{IPA link|ⁿz}}

|{{IPA link|ⁿdʒ}}

|{{IPA link|ᵑg}}

Implosive

|{{IPA link|ɓ}}

|{{IPA link|ɗ}}

Fricative

|{{IPA link|f}} {{IPA link|v}}

|{{IPA link|s}} {{IPA link|z}}

|{{IPA link|ɬ}} {{IPA link|ɮ}}

|{{IPA link|ʃ}} {{IPA link|ʒ}}

|{{IPA link|x}} {{IPA link|ɣ}}

Nasal

|{{IPA link|m}}

|{{IPA link|n}}

|{{IPA link|ŋ}}

Approximant

|({{IPA link|ⱱ}})

|{{IPA link|r}}

|{{IPA link|l}}

|{{IPA link|j}}

|{{IPA link|w}}

/ⱱ/ is only found intervocalically in ideophones.
/ɬ/ is often pronounced [x] word-initially.
/tʃ dʒ/ are often lenited to [ʃ ʒ] in fast speech.
/k/ can vary to [x~kʷ~w~g].

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Vowels ! !Front !Central !Back
High \|{{IPA link\|i}} \| \|{{IPA link\|u}}
Mid \| \|({{IPA link\|ə}}) \|
Low \| \|{{IPA link\|a}} \|

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

|+Vowels

|{{IPA link|i}}

|{{IPA link|u}}

Mid

|({{IPA link|ə}})

Low

|{{IPA link|a}}

/a/ can be raised to either [e] or [o].
/ə/ is epenthetic. It is heard as [ə̥] if following an unvoiced consonant and if it does not bear any tone, and can also unpredictably be realized as [u̥] in fast speech.

Sukur also has two tones; high and low.

References

External links

ELAR archive of [http://elar.soas.ac.uk/deposit/0252 Sakun (Sukur) Language Documentation]

Category:Languages of Nigeria

Category:Biu-Mandara languages