Mano language

Mano
Region	Liberia, Guinea
Native speakers	390,000 (2012)
Language family	Niger–Congo Mande Eastern Mande Southeastern Mano–Dan Mano
Language codes
ISO 639-3	mev
Glottolog	mann1248

The Mano language, also known as Maa, Mah, and Mawe, is a significant Mande language of Liberia and Guinea. It is spoken primarily in Nimba County in north-central Liberia and in Nzérékoré, Lola and Yomou Prefectures in Guinea.

Phonology

Vowels

	Front/Oral	Central/Oral	Back/Oral	Front/Nasal	Central/Nasal	Back/Nasal
Close	i		u	ĩ		ũ
Close-mid	e		o
Open-mid	ɛ		ɔ	ɛ̃		ɔ̃
Open		a			ã

Consonants

	Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Labialized Velar	Velar-Bilabial
Plosives	p b	t d		k g	kʷ ɡʷ	k͡p ɡ͡b
Implosive	ɓ
Fricatives	f v	s z
Oral Sonorants	w	l	j
Nasal Sonorants	m	n	ɲ	ŋ	ŋʷ

Where two symbols appear side-by-side, the one on the left is voiceless and the one on the right is voiced.

Tones

The language has three tones: high /˦/, mid /˧/, and low /˨/.

Sample Text

Mano

Kɛɛ pɛ séĩ é tĩã kɛɛ̀ ɓea, Wééa e ke ɓe. Wéé e kília e kɛ Wálà píé, ɛ̃ɛ̃ e kɛ Wálà ká. Wéé e kília e kɛ Wálà píé pɛ séĩ ga-gbɛ̃pìà. Wééa kolo làa lɛ́ Wálà e pɛ séĩ kɛɛ. Pɛ séĩ lɛ́ e ɓea dò wá ɓe kɛ à kɛɛ̀ é gɔ̃ kɛɛ̀á à kolo là. Kèɓe e kɛ Wééa yí. Kèɓe e kília e kɛ lɛ̀ fɔ̀nɔɔ̀ɔ ká mia lɛ̀ɛ. Lɛ̀ fɔ̀nɔɔ̀ɔ e kília, lɛ́ɛ̀ lɛ̀ fɔ̀nɔ bĩ tii bà, ɛ̃ɛ̃ bĩ tii e kília à kɔ̀ lɛ̀ɛ́ die do lɛ̀ fɔ̀nɔɔ̀ɔ là. Gɔ̃ doó lɛ́ ò si Zɔ̃ɔ̃ɔ e kɛ ɓe. Wálà lɛ́ e à vɔɔ.

English

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

See also

• Languages of Liberia