Central Teke language

Central Teke is a member of the Teke languages dialect continuum of the Congolese plateau. Central Teke dialects are Ngungwel and Mpu (Mpumpum), Boo (Boma, Eboo – cf. Boma language), and Nzikou (Njyunjyu/Ndzindziu).[3] They are spoken in the Malebo Pool region of the Republic of Congo, with an unknown number of Boo speakers in DRC.

Central Teke
Native toCongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Native speakers
(45,000 Ngungwel cited 1988)[1]
20,000 Boo (2000)[1]
Dialects
  • Ngungwel
  • Mpu (Mpumpu)
  • Boo (Eboo)
  • Ndzindziu
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
ngz – Ngungwel
ebo – Boo
nzu – Nzikou
Glottologngun1278
B.72,74[2]

Phonology

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive voiceless p t k
voiced b d ɡ
prenasal vl. ᵐp ⁿt ᵑk
prenasal vd. ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ
Affricate voiceless p͡f t͡s
voiced b͡v d͡z
prenasal vl. ᵐp͡f ⁿt͡s
prenasal vd. ᵐb͡v ⁿd͡z
Fricative f s ʃ h
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Lateral l
Approximant ɥ j w
  • /h/ is only heard in the Nzikou dialect.

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i ĩ u ũ
ɪ ɪ̃ ʊ ʊ̃
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɛ̃ ɔ ɔ̃
Open a ã
  • /u/ when preceding a palatal /j/ is heard as [ʉ], and when preceding a /w/ is heard as [y].[4]

References
  1. Ngungwel at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) closed access
    Boo at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) closed access
    Nzikou at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) closed access
  2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. Hammarström (2015) Ethnologue 16/17/18th editions: a comprehensive review: online appendices
  4. Raharimanantsoa, Ruth (2012). Aspects of phonology in Eboo-Nzikou. Göteborgs Universitet.
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