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Myene language

Myene is a cluster of closely related Bantu varieties spoken in Gabon by about 46,000 people. It is perhaps the most divergent of the Narrow Bantu languages, though Nurse & Philippson (2003) place it in with the Tsogo languages (B.30). The more distinctive varieties are Mpongwe (Pongoué), Galwa (Galloa), and Nkomi.

Phonology

  • /É¡/ is also heard as [É£] in free variation when preceding vowels or semivowels depending on articulation.
  • Voiced sounds /b, d, dʒ/ may also be heard as implosives [ɓ, ɗ, ɗ̠ʲ] in free variation across dialects.
  • In the Adyumba dialect /dʒ/ may also be heard as [dz] in free variation.
  • Sounds /ᶮtʃ, ᶮdʒ/ may also be heard as prenasal alveolar affricates [ⁿts, ⁿdz] across dialects.
  • /w/ may be heard as more palatal [É¥] when before front vowel sounds.
  • A nasalized labio-velar sound /w̃/ may also be attested in the Mpongwe dialect.

Dictionary

Jean-Rémy Bessieux published a Pongwe dictionary in 1847.

Notes

Bibliography

  • Ambouroue, Odette (2007). Éléments de description de l'Orungu: Langue bantu du Gabon (B11b). Brussels: Université Libre de Bruxelles dissertation.
  • Eyang Effa, Edwige (2002). Phonologie du myen'orungu, langue bantoue du Gabon B11b. Libreville: Université Omar Bongo.
  • Jacquot, A. (1976) Etude de la phonologie et de la morphologie myene, in Etudes Bantoues II, Bulletin SELAF 53, Paris, 13–79.
  • Patrick Mouguiama Daouda (1988). Éléments de description du mpongwe : Phonologie, morphologie du système nominal et pronominal (mémoire de maîtrise). Université Omar Bongo. 154 <abbr>p</abbr>
  • Philippson, G. & G. Puech (1996) 'Tonal domains in Galwa (Bantu, B11c)' The Bantu languages
  • Soumaho Ditoubilianou, Prisca Armelle (2001). Esquisse d'une phonologie fonctionnelle du Galwa. Libreville: Université Omar Bongo.
  • Teisseres, Urbain (1957). Méthode pratique pour apprendre l'omyènè. 2nd edn. Paris: Société des Missions Evangéliques

External links

  1. le myènè en ligne sur : 'awanawintche.com', le myene en ligne : proverbes, contes, cours en audio mp3, histoires, rites et légendes o'myènè.