Ngwe language
| Ngwe | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Cameroon |
Native speakers | 73,000 (2001)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | nwe |
| Glottolog | ngwe1238 |
Ngwe (Ŋwɛh, Nweh) is a Grassfields language spoken predominately in Lebialem, Cameroon. As of 2001, Ngwe had 73,200 speakers, which was an increase from the numbers of previous censuses. It is part of the Bamileke dialect continuum, and its closest relatives are Yemba and Ngiemboon.
Phonology
Vowels
It has at least thirteen vowels, /i y e ɛ æ ɐ ɑ ɔ o u ɯ ɤ ʌ/.[2] /ɤ ʌ/ are centralised.[2] /y/ sounds somewhat like [ø] or [œ] and has a tongue position similar to that of /ɑ/, but with the jaw raised and the lips very close together.[2]
References
- ^ Ngwe at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ a b c Ladefoged, Peter. A Phonetic Study of West African Languages: An Auditory-instrumental Survey. Cambridge University Press, 1968, pp. 33–36.
External links
- Ayotte, Michael & Ayotte, Charlene. 2002. "Sociolinguistic Language Survey of Ngwe." SIL International
 | This article about a language spoken in Cameroon is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about Grassfields Bantu languages is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |