Bena language
Bantu language spoken in Tanzania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bena is a Bantu language spoken by the Bena people of the Iringa region of Tanzania.
NativetoTanzania
EthnicityBena
Native speakers
590,000 (2009)[1]Niger–Congo?
-
Atlantic–Congo
- Benue–Congo
- Bantoid
- Bantu
- Northeast Bantu
- Bena–Kinga (G60)
- Bena
- Bena–Kinga (G60)
- Northeast Bantu
- Bantu
- Bantoid
- Benue–Congo
| Bena | |
|---|---|
| Ekibena | |
| Native to | Tanzania |
| Ethnicity | Bena |
Native speakers | 590,000 (2009)[1] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Either:bez – Benaegm – Benemanga (includes Kidugala and Lupembe dialects) |
| Glottolog | bena1262 |
G.63[2] | |
| Linguasphere | 99-AUS-ub incl. varieties 99-AUS-uba...-ubg |
Phonology
Consonants
Voiceless sounds almost always occur as aspirated stops; [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ].
- /v/ can be realized as [ʋ] intervocalically.
- [ɖ] can occur as an allophone of /d/ before long non high vowels.
- [x] can occur as an allophone of /k/, /h/ in the Maswamu dialect.
- [cç, tʃ] can occur as allophones of /ts/, in the Twangabita dialect.
- [ⁿz] can occur as an allophone of /ⁿs/.
- [ɟ] can occur as an allophone of /j/ in the Maswamu dialect.
- [β, ʋ] can occur as allophones of /w/ among some speakers.
- Prenasalised stops may be devoiced when occurring word-finally (ex. /ᵐb/ ~ [ᵐb̥]).
