Bantu language spoken in Tanzania
Central Kilimanjaro, or Central Chaga, is a Bantu language of Tanzania spoken by the Chaga people.
There are several dialects:[1]
- Moshi (Old Moshi, Mochi, Kimochi)
- Uru
- Mbokomu
- Wuunjo (Wunjo, Vunjo, Kivunjo), including Kiruwa, Kilema, Mamba, Moramu (Marangu), Mwika
Moshi is the language of the Chaga cultural capital, Moshi, and the prestige dialect of the Chaga languages.
Phonology
Vowels
Consonants
- Sounds /k, ᵑɡ, l/ become palatalized as [kʲ, ᵑɡʲ, lʲ] when occurring before front vowels /i, e/.
- /w/ is heard as a fricative [β] when before front vowels /i, e/.
- Sounds /k, ᵑɡ, ɣ, l/ become palatalized as [kʲ, ᵑɡʲ, ɣʲ, lʲ] when occurring before front vowels /i, e/.
- /l/ when palatalized as [lʲ] can also have a palatal lateral allophone [ʎ] in the Vunjo dialect.
- /w/ is heard as a fricative [β] when before front vowels /i, e/.[4][3]
Bibliography
- Dalgish, Gerard M. (1978) 'The syntax and semantics of the morpheme ni in kiVunjo (Chaga)', Kiswahili, 48, 1, 42–56.
- Philippson, Gérard (1984) '"Gens des bananeraies" (Tanzanie): contribution linguistique à l'histoire culturelle des Chaga du Kilimanjaro' (Cahier no. 16.) Paris: Editions Recherche sur les civilisations.
References
- ^ a b Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
- ^ Nurse, Derek; Philippson, Gérard (1977). Tone in Old Moshi (Chaga). Studies in African linguistics 8: University of California, Los Angeles. pp. 49–80.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ a b Philippson, Gérard; Montlahuc, Marie-Laure (2003). Kilimanjaro Bantu (E60 and E74). In Nurse, Derek and Philippson, Gérard (eds.), The Bantu Languages: London & New York: Routledge. pp. 475–500.
- ^ a b McHugh, Brian David (1990). Cyclicity in the phrasal phonology of KiVunjo Chaga. University of California at Los Angeles.
