The Mangbetu–Asoa or Mangbetu languages of the Central Sudanic language family are a cluster of closely related languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mangbetu–Asoa
Mangbetu
Geographic
distribution
Democratic Republic of Congo
Linguistic classificationNilo-Saharan?
Subdivisions
Language codes
Glottologmang1393

The languages are Mangbetu, spoken by perhaps a million people, and the smaller Lombi and Asoa.

Blench (2000) considers Lombi to be part of the Mangbetu dialect continuum. Asoa is spoken by Pygmies.

Proto-Mangbetu has been reconstructed by Demolin (1992).[1]

Comparative vocabulary

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Mangbetu-Asua languages comparative lexicon:[2]

Gloss Asua Mangbetu Nabulu Lombi Makere Malele
bee ángíyé nɛ́ngágɪ̀ nɛ́ngágɪ́zè nɛ́ngágì nɛ́ngágɪ̀ nɛ́ngágɪ̀
animal élíè nérí nélí nérí nérí nérí
tree kílílɛ̀yɛ̀ nèkírè nèkílè néhò nèkílè néhò
mouth tíkpòè nètíkpò nètíkpò nètí nɛ̀kɔ́rɔ́ nèkóró
arm tɛ̂ nɛ́tɛ́ nɛ́tɛ́ nɛ́tɛ́ nɛ́tɛ́ nɛ́tɛ́
goat àmɛ́mɛ̂ nàmɛ́mɛ́ nàmɛ́mɛ́ nàmyɛ́myɛ́ nàmɛ́mɛ́ nàmɛ́mɛ́
dog ísìyɛ̀ nésì nésì nésì nésì nésì
horn lígá néígá néégá nálígá náágá náɛ́gá
to cultivate ɔ̀ʔà nɔ̀ʔà nɔ̀ʔà nɔ̀ʔà nɔ̀ʔà nɔ̀ʔà
water gwò ègwò ègwò ègwò ègwò ègwò
elephant ʊ̀kɔ̀ nɔ́kɔ̀ nɔ́kɔ̀ nɔ́kɔ̀ nɔ́kɔ̀ nɔ́kɔ̀
iron kídígwá néímbá nèèmbà èdùmòòmà náámbá náɛ́mbá
arrow líkámʊ́ɛ̀ nɛ̀vàngà nɛ̀vàngà nɛ̀mbààngú nɛ̀vàngà nɛ̀vàngà

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Demolin, Didier. 1992. Le Mangbetu: etude phonétique et phonologique, 2 vols. Brussels: Faculté de Philosophie et Lettres, Université libre de Bruxelles dissertation.
  2. ^ Demolin, Didier. 2021. The languages of the Ituri forest Pygmies: contact and historical perspectives. Diedrich Westermann-Workshop (West-central African linguistic history between Macro-Sudan Belt and Niger-Congo: commemorating Diedrich Westermann’s legacy and the 100th anniversary of the Berlin professorship for African languages), 4-6 November 2021, Humboldt University of Berlin.

References

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