Mmen language
| Mmen | |
|---|---|
| Bafmeng | |
| Native to | Cameroon |
Native speakers | (35,000 cited 2001)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | bfm |
| Glottolog | mmen1238 |
| ELP | Fungom |
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Mmen (autonym: Bafmeng) is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon.
As a Centre Ring language of Narrow Grassfields, a subdivision of Wide Grassfields within the Southern Bantoid languages, Mmen is part of a cluster including six other languages i.e. Babanki, Bum, Kom, Kuk, Kung and Oku.[2][full citation needed]
Etymology
[edit]The name Mmen ([mɛn]) comes from the verb sé mwɛ̀yn [sémɣɛ̀yn] 'to open up thick bush-covered land' and is used by the speakers referring to both their language and their land.
Ethnologue[3] and ALCAM, Atlas Linguistique du Cameroon[4] use the name and spelling Mmen.
Bafumen is the name of the village where the largest number of speakers is found i.e. 30 000[5] and the name adopted by German colonizers for the area and formerly used for the language. Other villages where Mmen is spoken are Cha’, Yemgeh, Nyos, Ipalim among others.
Phonology
[edit]Consonants
[edit]Mmen has 27 phonemic consonants.[6]
| Labial | Alveolar | Palato-alveolar | Velar | Labial–velar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | voiceless | /p/ | /t/ | /k/[a] | /k͡p/ | |
| voiced | /ᵐb/ | /ⁿd/ | /ᵑg/ | |||
| Affricate | voiceless | /p͡f/ | /t͡s/ | /t͡ʃ/ | ||
| voiced | /ᵐb͡v/ | /ⁿd͡z/ | /ⁿd͡ʒ/ | |||
| Fricative | voiceless | /f/ | /s/ | /ʃ/ | ||
| voiced | /v/ | /z/ | /ʒ/ | /ɣ/ | ||
| Nasal | /m/ | /n/ | /ɲ/[b] | /ŋ/ | ||
| Lateral | /l/ | |||||
| Approximant | /j/ | /w/ | ||||
Vowels
[edit]Monophthongs
[edit]Mmen has 9 phonemic monophthongs.[9]
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | /i/ | /u/ | |
| Close-mid | /e/[a][b] | /ə/[c] | /o/[d] |
| Open-mid | /ɛ/ | /ɜ/ | /ɔ/ |
| Open | /ä/ |
Diphthongs
[edit]Mmen also has six phonemic diphthongs, all ending in /i/.[13]
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close-mid | əi̯ | oi̯ | |
| Open-mid | ɛi̯ | ɜi̯ | ɔi̯ |
| Open | äi̯ |
Tone
[edit]Mmen has 9 phonemic tones. There are three level tones (high, mid, and low) and six contour tones (high-low, high-mid, mid-low, mid-high, low-mid, and low-falling).[14]
References
[edit]- ↑ Mmen at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ↑ Lewis 2009
- ↑ Lewis 2009
- ↑ Dieu and Renaud 1983
- ↑ Troyer, et al. 1995:8
- ↑ Björkestedt (2010:9)
- ↑ Björkestedt (2010:11)
- ↑ Björkestedt (2010:52)
- ↑ Björkestedt (2010:31)
- 1 2 Björkestedt (2010:32)
- ↑ Björkestedt (2010:32–33)
- ↑ Björkestedt (2010:33)
- ↑ Björkestedt (2010:36)
- ↑ Björkestedt (2010:44)
Bibliography
[edit]- Agha-ah, Chiatoh Blasius (April 1993). The Noun Class System of Mmen (post-graduate diploma thesis). University of Yaoundé.
- Agha, Grace Beh (September 1987). The Phonology of Mmen (post-graduate diploma thesis). University of Yaoundé.
- Bangha, George F. (2003). The Mmen Noun Phrase (Thesis). hdl:11858/00-001M-0000-0012-7FC1-6.
- Björkestedt, Lena (2010). A Phonological Sketch of the Mmen Language (PDF). CABTAL. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-03-16.
- Björkestedt, Lena (2011). Mmen Orthography Guide. SIL.
- Huey, Paul; Mbongue, Joseph; Troyer, Duane (May 1995). A rapid appraisal survey of Mmen (ALCAM 821) and Aghem dialects (ALCAM 810), Menchum Division, Northwest Province (Report). SIL Cameroon.
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