Doyayo language

Doyayo
Dowayo
Region	Cameroon
Native speakers	(18,000 cited 1985)
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Leko–Nimbari Duru Vere–Dowayo Doyayo
Dialects	Sewe
Language codes
ISO 639-3	dow
Glottolog	doya1240

Person	Doo²waa²³yɔ¹
Language	Doo²³ya̰a̰¹yɔ¹

Doyayo (ethnonym: Dowayo) is a language of the Duru branch of Adamawa languages spoken in Cameroon.

Doyayo (Doo²³ya̰a̰¹yɔ¹ 'man's mouth'; alternatively Doo²waa²³ya̰a̰¹yɔ¹ 'man's child's mouth') is spoken by the Dowayo (or Doo²waa²³yɔ¹ 'man's child') ethnic group.

Dialects

Doyayo dialects are:

• Markɛ (spoken in the northwestern plains)
• Tɛ̰ɛ̰rɛ of Poli
• Southern Tɛ̰ɛ̰rɛ (spoken in the mountains to the south)
• Sewe (Séwé)

(Note that there are two distinct Tɛ̰ɛ̰rɛ dialects.)

Blench (2004) considers the Sewe dialect to be a separate language, no more closely related to Dowayo than to Koma and Vere.

References

• Roger Blench, 2004. List of Adamawa languages (ms)