| Limba | |
|---|---|
| Yimba | |
| Spoken in | Sierra Leone, Guinea |
| Native speakers | 340,000 (1989) |
| Language family |
Niger–Congo
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | either: lia – West–Central lma – East |
Limba is an erstwhile Atlantic language of Sierra Leone. It is not closely related to other languages and appears to form its own branch of Niger–Congo. The eastern variety, spoken primarily in Guinea, is quite distinct.
Like neighboring Temne, Limba has an unusual contrast among its consonants. It distinguishes dental and alveolar, but the dental consonants are apical and the alveolar consonants are laminal, the opposite of the general pattern.[1]