Guere language
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Guéré (Gere), also called Wè (Wee), is a Kru language spoken by over 300,000 people in the Dix-Huit Montagnes and Moyen-Cavally regions of Ivory Coast.
Phonology
The phonology of Guere (here the Zagna dialect of Central Guere / Southern Wè)[1] is briefly sketched out below.
Consonants
The consonant phonemes are as follows:
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Labial- velar |
Labialized velar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stops | voicelessScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link |
| voicedScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | |
| implosiveScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:IPA link | ||||||
| Nasal | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | ||||
| Fricative | voicelessScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | ||||
| voicedScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | |||||
| Approximant | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | ||||
Allophones of some of these phonemes include:
- Script error: No such module "IPA". is an allophone of Script error: No such module "IPA". before nasal vowels
- Template:IPAblink is an allophone of Script error: No such module "IPA". before nasal vowels
- Template:IPAblink is an allophone of Script error: No such module "IPA". before nasal vowels
- Template:IPAblink is an allophone of Script error: No such module "IPA". in word-initial position
- Template:IPAblink is an allophone of Script error: No such module "IPA". after a coronal consonant (alveolar or palatal)
In addition, while the nasal consonants Script error: No such module "IPA". and contrast with Script error: No such module "IPA". and Script error: No such module "IPA". before oral vowels, and are thus separate phonemes, before nasal vowels only the nasal consonants occur. Script error: No such module "IPA". and Script error: No such module "IPA". do not occur before nasal vowels, suggesting that historically a phonemic merger between these sounds and the nasals Script error: No such module "IPA". may have occurred in this position.
Vowels
Like many West African languages, Guere makes use of a contrast between vowels with advanced tongue root and those with retracted tongue root. In addition, nasal vowels contrast phonemically with oral vowels.
| Oral | Nasal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front | Back | Front | Back | |
| Close (ATR) | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". |
| Close (RTR) | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". |
| Mid (ATR) | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | |
| Mid (RTR) | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". |
| Open (RTR) | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | ||
Tones
Guere is a tonal language and contrasts ten tones:
| Tone | IPA | Example | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | "to scatter" |
| Mid | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | "to destroy" |
| High | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | "to die" |
| Top | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | "full" |
| Low–high rising | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | "hat" |
| Low–top rising | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | "banana" |
| Mid–high rising | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | "wall" |
| High–top rising | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | "younger brother" |
| High–low falling | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | "goat" |
| Mid–low falling | Script error: No such module "IPA". | Script error: No such module "IPA". | "penis" |
See also
- Wobe Template:A.k.a. Northern Wè
References
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".