Kunama language

File:Kunamamap.png

Map of the Kunama Languages

The Kunama language has been included in the proposed Nilo-Saharan language family, though it is distantly related to the other languages, if at all. Kunama is spoken by the Kunama people of the Gash-Barka Region in western Eritrea and just across the Ethiopian border. The language has several dialects including: Barka, Marda, Aimara, Odasa, Tika, Lakatakura, Sokodasa, Takazze-Setit and Tigray. Ilit and Bitama are not mutually intelligible and so may be considered distinct languages.

There have been some use of the Kunama language in publications. "The first Bible translation product in Kunama was the Gospel of Mark prepared by Andersson and published in 1906."

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Stop	voiceless		Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink
	voiced	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink
Fricative		Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink		(Template:IPAlink)
Nasal		Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink
Rhotic			Template:IPAlink
Lateral			Template:IPAlink
Approximant		Template:IPAlink		Template:IPAlink

• is only of marginal status.
• are labialized as after back vowels.
• is heard as aspirated in syllable-initial position.

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink	(Template:IPAlink)	Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink
Mid	Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink	(Template:IPAlink)	Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink
Open		Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink

• can be heard as when in unstressed syllable position.

See also

• Kunama word list (Wiktionary)

Relevant literature

• Template:Cite thesis

External links

• World Atlas of Language Structures information on Kunama

Template:Ns-lang-stub Template:Asbox Template:Asbox