Mangbai language

Mangbai
Native to	Cameroon, Chad
Native speakers	14,000 (2002–2011)
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Mbum–Day Mbum Northern Mbum Tupuri–Mambai Mangbai
Language codes
ISO 639-3	mcs
Glottolog	mamb1294
ELP	Mambai

Mangbai (Mamgbay, Mambai) is an Mbum language of northern Cameroon and southern Chad.

Distribution

In Cameroon, Mambay is spoken along the Mayo-Kebi River near the Chadian border, in the Djaloumé region (northern end of Bibemi commune, Bénoué department), where there is a massif called Hosséré Mambay. It is also spoken in the extreme southeast of Figuil commune, Mayo-Louti department. In Cameroon and Chad, there is a total of about 2,500 speakers, many of whom also speak Mundang.

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Labial-velar	Glottal
voiceless-stop		p	t		k	kp	ʔ
voiced-stop		f	s			gb
voiceless-fricative		b	d				h
voiced-fricative		v	z
nasal glottalic series		ˀm	ˀn		ˀŋ
Nasal		m	n		ŋ
flaps/trills			r
oral glottalic series		ɓ	ɗ			ˀw
approximants		l	y			w

Vowels

	Front		Central		Back
	short	long	short	long	short	long
High	i	iː			u	uː
Mid	ɛ	ɛː			ɔ	ɔː
Low			a	aː

	Front		Central		Back
	short	long	short	long	short	long
High	ĩ	ĩː			ũ	ũː
Mid			ã	ãː
Low

	Front	Central	Back
High	iˀ		uˀ
Mid	ɛˀ		ɔˀ
Low		aˀ

	Front	Central	Back
High	ĩˤ		ũˤ
Mid		ãˤ
Low

	Front	Central	Back
High	iˀˤ		uˀˤ
Mid	ɛˀˤ		ɔˀˤ
Low		aˀˤ