Minyanka (also known as Mamara, Miniyanka, Minya, Mianka, Minianka, or Tupiire) is a northern Senufo language spoken by about 750,000 people in southeastern Mali. It is closely related to Supyire. Minyanka is one of the national languages of Mali.

Minyaka
Mamara
Native toMali
Native speakers
740,000 (2000)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3myk
Glottologmama1271
Map showing where Mamara is spoken.

Phonology

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Consonants

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Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Labio-
velar
Pharyn-
geal
Glottal
plain lab. pal. plain pal.
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ ŋ͡m
Plosive voiceless p t c k k͡p ʔ
voiced b d ɟ ɡ ɡʲ ɡ͡b
prenasal ᵐb ⁿd ᶮɟ ᵑɡ
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ (h)
voiced v z ʒ (ʕ) (ɦ)
Rhotic r
Approximant l j w
  • A pharyngeal fricative [ʕ] is also typically heard when in between vowels, or as an allophone of /ɡ/ when in intervocalic position.
  • Glottal sounds [h, ɦ] are only heard in the Bla dialect, instead of labio-velar sounds /k͡p, ɡ͡b, ŋ͡m/.[2]
  • Sounds /k, ɡ/ can also be heard as fricatives [x, ɣ] when in intervocalic positions.[3]

Vowels

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Front Central Back
Close i ĩ u ũ
Close-mid e ə o
Open-mid ɛ ɛ̃ ɔ ɔ̃
Open a ã
  • /u/ can also be heard as [y] when in the position of /j/.
  • /o/ can also be heard as [œ] when before a glottal /ʔ/.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Minyaka at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Coulibaly, Sékou (2020). Le minyanka parlé dans le cercle de Bla: une description phonologique et morphosyntaxique. Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris III.
  3. ^ Prost, André (1964). Le Mambar. In Prost, André (ed.), Contribution à l'étude des langues voltaïques: Dakar: Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, Université de Dakar. pp. 123–183.

Further reading

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  • Dombrowsky-Hahn, Klaudia (ed. by Miehe, Gudrun; Reineke, Brigitte; Roncador, Manfred von) (1999) Phénomènes de contact entre les langues Minyanka et Bambara (Sud du Mali). Köln: Rüdiger Köppe.
  • Prost, André (1964) Contributrion à l'étude des langues Voltaiques. Dakar: Institut Francophone de l'Afrique Noire.
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