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Nsei language

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Nsei
Kenswei Nsei
Native toCameroon
Native speakers
25,000 (2008)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3ndb
Glottologkens1251

Kenswei Nsei (Kensense), also Nsei or Mesing (Bamessing), is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon.

Phonology

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Consonants

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Consonants[2]
Labial Alveolar Post-alveolar Velar Glottal
-voice +voice -voice +voice -voice +voice -voice +voice -voice
Nasal Plain m n ɲ ŋ
Labialized ɲʷ ŋʷ
Plosive/
Affricate
Plain b t d t͡ʃ d͡ʒ k g ʔ
Pre-nasalized ᵐb ⁿt ⁿd ⁿt͡ʃ ⁿd͡ʒ ᵑk ᵑg
Lablalized t͡ʃʷ d͡ʒʷ
Pre-nasalized
and labialized
ᵐbʷ ⁿtʷ ⁿdʷ ⁿt͡ʃʷ ⁿd͡ʒʷ ᵑkʷ ᵑgʷ
Fricative Plain f v s z ɣ[a] h
Pre-nasalized ᶬf ⁿs
Labialized
Pre-nasalized
and labialized
ⁿsʷ
Approximant Plain l j[b] w
Labialized
  1. ^ /ɣ/ becomes [ɰ] before back vowels.
  2. ^ [j] is in free variation with [ʒ].

Vowels

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Vowels[2]
Front Central Back
Close i ɨ̝[a] u
Close-mid e[b] ə[c] o[d]
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open æ ä[e]
  1. ^ /ɨ̝/ becomes [ɨ] before /ŋ/.
  2. ^ /e/ becomes [ɪ] in short open syllables.
  3. ^ /ə/ becomes [ɵ] before a pause when friction is present.
  4. ^ /o/ becomes [ʊ] before a pause when friction is present.
  5. ^ /ä/ becomes [ɒ] before [w].

Tone

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Nsei has both lexical and grammatical tone. There are at least two level tones (high, low, and possibly mid) and two contour tones (falling and rising).[3]

References

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  1. ^ Nsei at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b DeVries 2008.
  3. ^ DeVries 2008, pp. 17–18.

Further reading

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  • Akeriweh (2000). A step towards the standardisation of Kə̀nswéynséy: (a grassfield bantu language (MA thesis). Yaoundé: Université de Yaoundé I.
  • DeVries, Aaron (2008). Kenswey Nsey (Bamessing): A Phonological Sketch (PDF). Yaoundé: SIL Cameroun. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 December 2023.
  • Lonbeck, Janelle (2013). The Noun Phrase in Kenswei Nsei (Bamessing) (PDF). Yaoundé: SIL Cameroon. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2023.
  • Lonfo, Bertrand (2007). Morphologie nominale du kensweynse (MA thesis). Université de Yaoundé I.