Ngiemboon language

The Ngiemboon language, (autonym: ), is one of a dozen Bamileke languages spoken in Cameroon. Its speakers are located primarily within the department of Bamboutos in the West Region of Cameroon.

Dialects are Batcham (Basham), Balatchi (Balaki) and Bamoungong (Bamongoun).

Alphabet

The alphabet is based on the General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages

Alphabet

Uppercase
A	B	C	D	E	Ɛ	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	Ŋ	O	Ɔ	P	R	Pf	S	Sh	T	Ts	U	Ʉ	V	W	Ẅ	Y	Ÿ	Z	ʼ
Lowercase
a	b	c	d	e	ɛ	f	g	h	i	j	k	l	m	n	ŋ	o	ɔ	p	r	pf	s	sh	t	ts	u	ʉ	v	w	ẅ	y	ÿ	z	ʼ

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Coronal	Palatal	Dorsal
Nasal		Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink		Template:IPAlink
Plosive	unvoiced		Template:IPAlink		Template:IPAlink
	voiced	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink		Template:IPAlink
Affricate		Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink
Fricative	unvoiced	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink		(Template:IPAlink)
	voiced	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink
Approximant			(Template:IPAlink)	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink*
	labialized			Template:IPAlink*	Template:IPAlink

Anderson (2008) states the language allows roots of C(S)V(C)(V), with the above consonants being the underlying consonants allowed. do not occur naturally in the role of C, but are allowed as semivowels (S) where they are distinct from . As well, there is a possible syllabic nasal prefix, which assimilates to following consonants, and can carry a high or low tone. It is spelled as Template:Angbr before labial consonants and Template:Angbr otherwise.

Phonemes are pronounced when word initial, intervocalically, and before the suffix and word finally. When word final, those are unreleased, as well as .Template:Unclear inline are pronounced before . The other coronals, are normally dental, but become retroflex in that environment.

Obstruents become "aspirated" before both a semivowel and either or in an open syllable. This is realized as a "homorganic voiceless fricative offglide", causing the voiceless fricatives and affricates to become geminate, as well as voiced sounds to form a cluster with the unvoiced sound; for example, becomes , and becomes . However, a number of words also show this "aspiration" in positions without a following semivowel, all with the previous sounds being , , , , , or .

are spelled as Template:Angbr. are only present in loanwords. Additionally, certain allophones have separate letters assigned to them, namely Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr, Template:Angbr. Consonants are otherwise spelled as in IPA, except spelled as Template:Angbr.

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	Template:IPAlink		Template:IPAlink
Close-mid	Template:IPAlink		Template:IPAlink
Open-mid	Template:IPAlink		Template:IPAlink
Open		Template:IPAlink

Vowels are also distinguished by length and nasalization. Nasalization is present when before , but also sometimes without a following consonant, with the vowel always being long; this is analyzed as a following being fused with the vowel, since is never found word-finally where it would be expected. Additionally, the sounds are present, and analyzed as ; the first can vary, , while the second cannot, always being ; it is spelled as Template:Angbr. Long vowels are simply marked with two of the vowel.

Diphthongs occur and are spelled as sequences of the two vowels would be. Nasalized vowels are not marked; they are simply implied by the following Template:Angbr, or by the long vowel spelling followed by Template:Angbr, consistent with the analyses of these being from a phonemic .

Tones

Ngiembɔɔn is a tonal language, and uses the high tone , the low tone , the falling tone , and the rising tone . Anderson suggests a fifth tone/˨˩/, low falling. These are marked (using <a> as an example) as <á a â ǎ ȁ>. It is marked on the first letter of long vowels and diphthongs.

External links

• Database of audio recordings in Ngiemboon - basic Catholic prayers

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