West Teke is a
Bantu language
The Bantu languages (English: , Proto-Bantu language, Proto-Bantu: *bantʊ̀), or Ntu languages are a language family of about 600 languages of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern, East Africa, Eastern and Southeast Africa, South ...
spoken in the
Republic of Congo and
Gabon
Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...
.
West Teke is a
dialect continuum
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of Variety (linguistics), language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are Mutual intelligibility, mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulat ...
. The varieties are Tsaayi (Ge-Tsaya, Tyaye, Tsayi), Laali, Yaa (Yaka), and Tyee (Tee, Kwe). The dominant variety by far is Tsaayi.
Phonology
Consonants
* Sounds /k͡p, ᵑk͡p, ᵑɡ͡b/ are sometimes pronounced as labialized sounds
ʷ, ᵑkʷ, ᵑɡʷ
* /ɡ/ when preceding /w/ or /j/, may labialize or palatalize as
ʷ, ɡʲ
* /s/ may often be pronounced as
when before /u/ or /w/.
* /j/ when preceding a /w/ or /u/, is pronounced as a labial-palatal
* /t͡s, ⁿt͡s, d͡z, ⁿd͡z/ may also be pronounced as
͡ʃ, ⁿt͡ʃ, d͡ʒ, ⁿd͡ʒwhen before /u/, /w/ or /j/.
Vowels
* Sounds /ɛ, ɔ/ may also be heard as more closed
, oin different positions.
* Vowel length is also distinctive.
References
External links Dictionnaire Teke-Tyee
Languages of Gabon
Nzebi languages
Teke languages
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