Vute language

{{infobox language

|name=Vute

|states=Cameroon

|region=

|speakers=21,000

|date=1997

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Niger-Congo

|fam2=Atlantic–Congo

|fam3=Benue–Congo

|fam4=Mambiloid

|fam5=Mambila–Konja

|fam6=Mambila–Vute

|fam7=Tep–Vute

|fam8=Vute languages

|iso3=vut

|glotto=vute1244

|glottorefname=Vute

}}

Vute is a Mambiloid language of Cameroon and Gabon, with a thousand speakers in Nigeria. The orthography was standardized on March 9, 1979. Noted dialect clusters are eastern, central, and Doume.

Phonology

=Consonants=

Consonants in Vute are numerous and include pulmonic and implosive airstreams. Labialization is phonemic in many consonants, some of which is dialectal.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" \|+ Consonants of Vute{{Cite journal\|last=Thwing\|first=Rhonda\|orig-year=1981\|year=2004\|title=Vute Orthography Statement\|url=https://www.sil.org/system/files/reapdata/11/55/22/115522908478046307089743534852515072088/VuteOrthography.pdf\|journal=General Alphabet of Cameroonian Languages}}{{Cite book \|last=Thwing \|first=Rhonda Ann \|title=The Vute Noun Phrase and the Relationship Between Vute and Bantu (Cameroon) \|publisher=Ann Arbor: UMI \|year=1987}} ! colspan=2 rowspan=2 \| ! colspan="2" \| Labial ! colspan="2" \| Dental/ Alveolar ! colspan="2" \| Post- alveolar ! rowspan=2\| Palatal ! colspan=2\| Velar ! rowspan=2\| Labial– velar ! colspan="2" \| Glottal
plain \|\| lab.{{efn\|name=labialized\|Only vowels /i/ /e/ /a/ may follow a labialized consonant.}} !plain \|\| lab.{{efn\|name=labialized}} !plain \|\| lab.{{efn\|name=labialized}} !plain \|\| lab. !plain \|\| lab.{{efn\|name=labialized}}
colspan="2" \| Nasal \| {{IPA link\|m}} {{angbr\|m}} \| {{IPA link\|mʷ}} {{angbr\|mw}} \| {{IPA link\|n}} {{angbr\|n}} \| \| \| \|{{IPA link\|ɲ}} {{angbr\|ny}} \| {{IPA link\|ŋ}} {{angbr\|ŋ}} \| \| \| \|
colspan="2" \| Implosive \| {{IPA link\|ɓ}} {{angbr\|ɓ}} \| {{IPA link\|ɓʷ}} {{angbr\|ɓw}} \| {{IPA link\|ɗ}} {{angbr\|ɗ}} \| {{IPA link\|ɗʷ}} {{angbr\|ɗw}}{{efn\|name=Doume\|Doume dialect only.}} \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|
rowspan="3" \| Plosive/ Affricate ! voiceless \| {{IPA link\|p}} {{angbr\|p}} \| \| {{IPA link\|t}} {{angbr\|t}} \| \| {{IPA link\|t͡ʃ}} {{angbr\|c}} \| {{IPA link\|t͡ʃʷ}} {{angbr\|cw}}{{efn\|name=Doume&eastern}} \| \| {{IPA link\|k}} {{angbr\|k}} \| {{IPA link\|kʷ}} {{angbr\|kw}} \| {{IPA link\|k͡p}} {{angbr\|kp}} \| \|
voiced \| {{IPA link\|b}}{{Efn\|becomes a fricative [β] intervocalically. [ŋgáb] "they" -> [ŋgáβè] "their"\|name=intervocalic fricative}}{{angbr\|b}} \| \| {{IPA link\|d}} {{angbr\|d}} \| \| {{IPA link\|d͡ʒ}} {{angbr\|j}} \| {{IPA link\|d͡ʒʷ}} {{angbr\|jw}}{{efn\|name=Doume&eastern}} \| \| {{IPA link\|g}}{{Efn\|becomes a fricative [ɣ] intervocalically. [ɡè nɨ] "to carry" -> [ɲdʒɨ̀ɨ̀ɣɨ̀βɨ̀] "of leprosy"\|name=intervocalic}}{{angbr\|g}} \| {{IPA link\|gʷ}} {{angbr\|gw}} \| {{IPA link\|ɡ͡b}} {{angbr\|gb}} \| \|
prenasalized \| {{IPA link\|ᵐb}} {{angbr\|mb}} \| \| {{IPA link\|ⁿd}} {{angbr\|nd}} \| {{IPA link\|ⁿdʷ}} {{angbr\|ndw}}{{efn\|name=Doume&eastern\|Doume and eastern dialects only.}} \| {{IPA link\|ⁿd͡ʒ}} {{angbr\|nj}}{{efn\|name=low frequency}} \| \| \| {{IPA link\|ᵑg}} {{angbr\|ŋg}} \| {{IPA link\|ᵑgʷ}} {{angbr\|ŋgw}} \| {{IPA link\|ᵑᵐɡ͡b}} {{angbr\|mgb}}{{efn\|name=low frequency}} \| \|
rowspan="3" \| Fricative ! voiceless \| {{IPA link\|f}} {{angbr\|f}} \| {{IPA link\|fʷ}} {{angbr\|fw}}{{efn\|name=Doume}} \| {{IPA link\|s}} {{angbr\|s}} \| {{IPA link\|sʷ}} {{angbr\|sw}}{{efn\|name=Doume&eastern}} \| \| \| \| \| \| \| {{IPA link\|h}} {{angbr\|h}} \| {{IPA link\|hʷ}} {{angbr\|hw}}{{efn\|Central dialects only}}
voiced \| {{IPA link\|v}} {{angbr\|v}} \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|
prenasalized \| {{IPA link\|ᶬv}} {{angbr\|mv}}{{efn\|name=low frequency\|Low frequency{{Cite web\|url=https://phoible.org/inventories/view/837\|title=PHOIBLE 2.0 -\|website=phoible.org\|access-date=2020-02-01}}}} \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|
colspan="2" \|Rhotic \| \| \|({{IPA link\|ɾ}}~{{IPA link\|r}}){{efn\|initially: [leè] "wall; intervocalically: [tòɾò] "papaya'; finally: [bɨ́r] "oil palm tree"}} \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \| \|
colspan="2" \| Approximant \| \| \| {{IPA link\|l}} {{angbr\|l}} \| \| \| \| {{IPA link\|j}} {{angbr\|y}} \| \| \| {{IPA link\|w}} {{angbr\|w}} \| \|

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

|+ Consonants of Vute{{Cite journal|last=Thwing|first=Rhonda|orig-year=1981|year=2004|title=Vute Orthography Statement|url=https://www.sil.org/system/files/reapdata/11/55/22/115522908478046307089743534852515072088/VuteOrthography.pdf|journal=General Alphabet of Cameroonian Languages}}{{Cite book |last=Thwing |first=Rhonda Ann |title=The Vute Noun Phrase and the Relationship Between Vute and Bantu (Cameroon) |publisher=Ann Arbor: UMI |year=1987}}

! colspan=2 rowspan=2 |

! colspan="2" | Labial

! colspan="2" | Dental/
Alveolar

! colspan="2" | Post-
alveolar

! rowspan=2| Palatal

! colspan=2| Velar

! rowspan=2| Labial–
velar

! colspan="2" | Glottal

plain || lab.{{efn|name=labialized|Only vowels /i/ /e/ /a/ may follow a labialized consonant.}}

!plain || lab.{{efn|name=labialized}}

!plain || lab.

!plain || lab.{{efn|name=labialized}}

colspan="2" | Nasal

| {{IPA link|m}} {{angbr|m}}

| {{IPA link|mʷ}} {{angbr|mw}}

| {{IPA link|n}} {{angbr|n}}

|{{IPA link|ɲ}} {{angbr|ny}}

| {{IPA link|ŋ}} {{angbr|ŋ}}

colspan="2" | Implosive

| {{IPA link|ɓ}} {{angbr|ɓ}}

| {{IPA link|ɓʷ}} {{angbr|ɓw}}

| {{IPA link|ɗ}} {{angbr|ɗ}}

| {{IPA link|ɗʷ}} {{angbr|ɗw}}{{efn|name=Doume|Doume dialect only.}}

rowspan="3" | Plosive/
Affricate

! voiceless

| {{IPA link|p}} {{angbr|p}}

| {{IPA link|t}} {{angbr|t}}

| {{IPA link|t͡ʃ}} {{angbr|c}}

| {{IPA link|t͡ʃʷ}} {{angbr|cw}}{{efn|name=Doume&eastern}}

| {{IPA link|k}} {{angbr|k}}

| {{IPA link|kʷ}} {{angbr|kw}}

| {{IPA link|k͡p}} {{angbr|kp}}

voiced

| {{IPA link|b}}{{Efn|becomes a fricative [β] intervocalically. [ŋgáb] "they" -> [ŋgáβè] "their"|name=intervocalic fricative}}{{angbr|b}}

| {{IPA link|d}} {{angbr|d}}

| {{IPA link|d͡ʒ}} {{angbr|j}}

| {{IPA link|d͡ʒʷ}} {{angbr|jw}}{{efn|name=Doume&eastern}}

| {{IPA link|g}}{{Efn|becomes a fricative [ɣ] intervocalically. [ɡè nɨ] "to carry" -> [ɲdʒɨ̀ɨ̀ɣɨ̀βɨ̀] "of leprosy"|name=intervocalic}}{{angbr|g}}

| {{IPA link|gʷ}} {{angbr|gw}}

| {{IPA link|ɡ͡b}} {{angbr|gb}}

prenasalized

| {{IPA link|ᵐb}} {{angbr|mb}}

| {{IPA link|ⁿd}} {{angbr|nd}}

| {{IPA link|ⁿdʷ}} {{angbr|ndw}}{{efn|name=Doume&eastern|Doume and eastern dialects only.}}

| {{IPA link|ⁿd͡ʒ}} {{angbr|nj}}{{efn|name=low frequency}}

| {{IPA link|ᵑg}} {{angbr|ŋg}}

| {{IPA link|ᵑgʷ}} {{angbr|ŋgw}}

| {{IPA link|ᵑᵐɡ͡b}} {{angbr|mgb}}{{efn|name=low frequency}}

rowspan="3" | Fricative

! voiceless

| {{IPA link|f}} {{angbr|f}}

| {{IPA link|fʷ}} {{angbr|fw}}{{efn|name=Doume}}

| {{IPA link|s}} {{angbr|s}}

| {{IPA link|sʷ}} {{angbr|sw}}{{efn|name=Doume&eastern}}

| {{IPA link|h}} {{angbr|h}}

| {{IPA link|hʷ}} {{angbr|hw}}{{efn|Central dialects only}}

voiced

| {{IPA link|v}} {{angbr|v}}

prenasalized

| {{IPA link|ᶬv}} {{angbr|mv}}{{efn|name=low frequency|Low frequency{{Cite web|url=https://phoible.org/inventories/view/837|title=PHOIBLE 2.0 -|website=phoible.org|access-date=2020-02-01}}}}

colspan="2" |Rhotic

|({{IPA link|ɾ}}~{{IPA link|r}}){{efn|initially: [leè] "wall; intervocalically: [tòɾò] "papaya'; finally: [bɨ́r] "oil palm tree"}}

colspan="2" | Approximant

| {{IPA link|l}} {{angbr|l}}

| {{IPA link|j}} {{angbr|y}}

| {{IPA link|w}} {{angbr|w}}

=Tones<ref name=":0" />=

There are more phonemic tones than are marked in orthography, such as mid-high rising tone and mid tone being both unmarked {{angbr|a}} for example. Phonologically conditioned downstep is unmarked.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center
Tone Category !IPA ! Orthography !Example !Gloss
high tone \|˦ \|á, áá \|tím \| blood
mid tone \|˧ \| a, aa \|məb \| louse
low tone \|˨ \|à, àà \|tɨ̀mnɨ \| to drown
mid-high \|˧˥ \| a, aá \|tɨm \| antelope
low-high* \|˩˥ \|à \|ɓùn \|grass
high-low \|˥˩ \|â, áà \|bɨ̂ŋ \| round, complete
high-mid \|˥˧ \|â, áa \|mîn \|good
high-low-high \|˥˩˦ \|âá \|sîím \|rainy season

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

Tone Category

!IPA

! Orthography

!Example

!Gloss

high tone

|˦

|á, áá

|tím

| blood

mid tone

|˧

| a, aa

|məb

| louse

low tone

|˨

|à, àà

|tɨ̀mnɨ

| to drown

mid-high

|˧˥

| a, aá

|tɨm

| antelope

low-high*

|˩˥

|à

|ɓùn

|grass

high-low

|˥˩

|â, áà

|bɨ̂ŋ

| round, complete

high-mid

|˥˧

|â, áa

|mîn

|good

high-low-high

|˥˩˦

|âá

|sîím

|rainy season

*Only in eastern dialects, on short vowels. All other dialects merge this class with low tone.

=Vowels<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="2" \|Oral ! colspan="2" \|Nasal
Long !Short !Long !Short
[iː] ii \|[i~ɪ] i \|[ĩː] i̧i̧ \|[ĩ] i̧
[eː] ee \|[e~ɛ] e \|[ɛ̃ː] ȩȩ \|[ɛ̃] ȩ
[ɨː] ɨɨ \|[ɨ] ɨ \|[ɨ̃ː] ɨ̧ɨ̧ \|[ɨ̃] ɨ̧
[əː] əə \|[ə] ə \|[ə̃ː] ə̧ə̧ \|[ə̃] ə̧
[aː] aa \|[a] a \|[ãː] a̧a̧ \|[ã] a̧
[uː] uu \|[u~ʊ] u \|[ũː] u̧u̧ \|[ũ] u̧
[oː] oo \|[o~ɔ] o \|[õː] o̧o̧ \|[õ] o̧
[ɔː] ɔɔ \|[ɔ] ɔ \|[ɔ̃ː] ɔ̧ɔ̧ \|[ɔ̃] ɔ̧
[ei] ei \| \|[ẽĩ] ȩi̧ \|
[ai] ai \| \|[ãĩ] a̧i̧ \|
[ɨi] ɨi \| \|[ɨ̃ĩ] ɨ̧i̧ \|
[əi] əi \| \|[ə̃ĩ] ə̧i̧ \|
[oi] oi \| \|[õĩ] o̧i̧ \|

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

! colspan="2" |Oral

! colspan="2" |Nasal

Long

!Short

!Long

!Short

[iː] ii

|[i~ɪ] i

|[ĩː] i̧i̧

|[ĩ] i̧

[eː] ee

|[e~ɛ] e

|[ɛ̃ː] ȩȩ

|[ɛ̃] ȩ

[ɨː] ɨɨ

|[ɨ] ɨ

|[ɨ̃ː] ɨ̧ɨ̧

|[ɨ̃] ɨ̧

[əː] əə

|[ə] ə

|[ə̃ː] ə̧ə̧

|[ə̃] ə̧

[aː] aa

|[a] a

|[ãː] a̧a̧

|[ã] a̧

[uː] uu

|[u~ʊ] u

|[ũː] u̧u̧

|[ũ] u̧

[oː] oo

|[o~ɔ] o

|[õː] o̧o̧

|[õ] o̧

[ɔː] ɔɔ

|[ɔ] ɔ

|[ɔ̃ː] ɔ̧ɔ̧

|[ɔ̃] ɔ̧

[ei] ei

|[ẽĩ] ȩi̧

[ai] ai

|[ãĩ] a̧i̧

[ɨi] ɨi

|[ɨ̃ĩ] ɨ̧i̧

[əi] əi

|[ə̃ĩ] ə̧i̧

[oi] oi

|[õĩ] o̧i̧

References

Category:Mambiloid languages

Category:Languages of Cameroon

Category:Languages of Nigeria