Mangbetu language

Not to be confused with Mangbutu language.
Mangbetu
Nemangbetu
Region Congo (DRC)
Ethnicity Mangbetu people
Native speakers
 unknown (660,000 cited 1985)[1]
Nilo-Saharan?

  • Central Sudanic

    • Eastern
      • Mangbetu–Asoa
        • Mangbetu
Language codes
ISO 639-3 Either:
mdj – Mangbetu
lmi – Lombi
Glottolog mang1394  (Mangbetu)[2]
lomb1254  (Lombi)[3]

Mangbetu, or Nemangbetu, is one of the most populous of the Central Sudanic languages. It is spoken by the Mangbetu people of northeastern Congo. It, or its speakers, are also known as Amangbetu, Kingbetu, Mambetto. The most populous dialect, and the one most widely understood, is called Medje. Others are Aberu (Nabulu), Makere, Malele, Popoi (Mapopoi). The most divergent is Lombi; Ethnologue treats it as a distinct language. About half of the population speaks Bangala, a trade language similar to Lingala, and in southern areas some speak Swahili.

One unusual feature is that it has both a voiced and a voiceless bilabial trill.[4][5]

The Mangbetu live in association with the Asua Pygmies, and their languages are closely related.

References

  1. ↑ Mangbetu at Ethnologue (12th ed., 1992). Note: Undated data may come from an earlier edition.
    Lombi at Ethnologue (12th ed., 1992). Note: Undated data may come from an earlier edition.
  2. ↑ Nordhoff, Sebastian; Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Mangbetu". Glottolog. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
  3. ↑ Nordhoff, Sebastian; Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Lombi". Glottolog. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
  4. ↑ Linguist Wins Symbolic Victory for 'Labiodental Flap'. NPR (2005-12-17). Retrieved on 2010-12-08.
  5. ↑ LINGUIST List 8.45: Bilabial trill. Linguistlist.org. Retrieved on 2010-12-08.