Nzema language
Tano language of Ghana and Ivory Coast
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nzema, also known as Nzima or Appolo, is an Akan language spoken by the Nzema people of southwestern Ghana and southeastern Ivory Coast.[2] It is partially intelligible with Jwira-Pepesa and is closely related to Baoulé.[3]
RegionGhana, Ivory Coast
EthnicityNzema
Native speakers
430,000 (2013–2021)[1]| Nzema | |
|---|---|
| Region | Ghana, Ivory Coast |
| Ethnicity | Nzema |
Native speakers | 430,000 (2013–2021)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | nzi |
| ISO 639-3 | nzi |
| Glottolog | nzim1238 |
Nzema is one of several Bia languages, and it has had considerable influence from the Twi-Fante language.[4] There are notable towns in Nzemaland such as Bonyere, Nkroful, Half Assini, Axim, Eikwe, Baku, Atuabo, Beyin, Essiama and Anokyi.
Phonology
Consonants
The following allophones are reported, among others. [p] is rare.
| [4][5] | Labial | Labiodental | Dental | Alveolar | (Alveolo-) Palatal |
Velar | Labial-velar | Glottal | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| plain | lab. | plain | lab. | pal. | plain | lab. | plain | lab. | plain | lab. | |||||
| Nasal | plain | m | n̪ | n | ɲ | ɲʷ | ŋ | ŋʷ | ŋm | ||||||
| Plosive/ Affricate |
voiceless | p | t̪ | tɕ | tɕʷ | k | kʷ | kp~tp | ʔ | ||||||
| voiced | b | d̪ | d | dʑ | dʑʷ | ɡ | gʷ | ɡb~db | |||||||
| Fricative | voiceless | f | fʷ | s | sʷ | sʲ | ɕ | ɕʷ | x | h | hʷ | ||||
| voiced | v | vʷ | z | zʷ | zʲ | ɣ | ɦ | ||||||||
| Trill | r | ||||||||||||||
| Lateral | plain | l | |||||||||||||
| nasalized | l̃ | ||||||||||||||
| Approximant | j | ɥ | w | ||||||||||||
Vowels
Of Nzema's ten vowels, eight may be nasalized: /ĩ/, /ɪ̃/, /ɛ̃/, /ɐ̃/, /ã/, /ũ/, /ʊ̃/ and /ɔ̃/.[4][5]
