Language
Yemba language
From Wikipedia
Yɛmba or Yemba, also Yémba or Bamiléké Dschang, is a major Bamileke language in West Region of Cameroon. It was approximately spoken by 500,000 or so people in the country in 2023.
Despite originally being exclusively a spoken language, Yemba writing was developed by Maurice Tadadjeu (co-creator of the General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages) and Steven Bird. Their team developed a small Yemba–French Dictionary covering French translations of over 3,000 Yemba words and expressions. The Mmuock dialect also has a proposed orthography.
Phonology
Consonants
Sounds /t͡ʃ ʃ ʒ/ are included as phonemes in some analyses. In most analyses, they are considered as allophones of /t͡s s z/.
Sounds [p l ɣ] are consonant alternation sounds between the following consonants /b d ɡ/.
Alternation sounds of /j w/ are labialized and palatalized sounds [ɡʲ ɡʷ].
Graphemes of the alterations and allophones [t͡ʃ ʃ ʒ p l] are noted in the Yemba alphabet as c sh j p l.
An /r/ sound can also be included in the current language, and written in the Yemba alphabet as r.
The prosodies of palatalization and labialization [ʲ ʷ], are written orthographically with lowercase graphemes y w.
A grapheme for aspiration [ʰ] among consonants is written as h.
Vowels
/ʉ/ is included as a phoneme in some analyses. In more abstract analyses, it is considered as a palatalization of /u/.
Vowel length is distinguished using double vowel sounds (ex. aa [aː])
Tone
Three tones are marked as high [á], mid [ā], or low [à]. Low tones are unmarked when written.
This record is provisional: it was compiled from the cited sources but has not yet been checked by an InsideKamer editor.
Sources
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