Language name: |
GWARI |
UPSID number: |
4140 |
Alternate name(s): |
GBARI, GBAGYI |
Classification: |
Niger-Kordofanian, Kwa |
This language has |
26 segments |
Its Frequency index is |
0.489681051 (average percentage of segments; 0.1: many very rare segments; 0.39: average; 0.7: many common segments) |
The language has these sounds: |
p
t
k
kp
b
d
g
gb
b<
f
h
v
s
z
m
n
r[
l
j
w
i
"e
a
"o
u
i~
|
Comment: |
Gwari has 3 level tones. Hyman and Magaji note that "one distinctive characteristic of all Gwari dialects is the presence of consonant + nasal clusters". An alternative would be to posit 3 nasalized vowels, but H & M's analysis is accepted here, since C + N + /a/ is realized as consonant + nasal release + oral vowel [a]. High vowels /i,u/ after C + N are phonetically nasalized, and C + N + /i/ only has a phonetic nasal consonant segment if C is bilabial or velar. A loose end is a grammatical particle (orthographic 'in') which is a nasalized vowel only. /t,d,s,z/ are palato-alveolar affricates and fricatives before front vowels or /j/. /n/ is palatal before /j/ and velar before /w/. |
Source(s): |
Hyman, L. and Magaji, D. 1970. Essentials of Gwari Grammar. Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Occasional Publication No. 27. |