Waama language
| Waama | |
|---|---|
| Yoabu | |
| Native to | Benin |
Native speakers | (50,000 cited 2000)[1] |
| Official status | |
Recognised minority language in | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | wwa |
| Glottolog | waam1244 |
Waama, or Yoabu, is a Gur language of Benin.
Phonology
| Bilabial | Labiodental | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Labiovelar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | p b | t d | c | k | ||
| Nasal | m | n | ||||
| Fricative | f | s | ||||
| Approximant | j | w |
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u |
| Close-mid | e | o |
| Open-mid | ɛ | ɔ |
| Open | a |
Waama distinguishes between short and long versions of all vowels. /i/, /ɛ/, and /ɔ/ also distinguish nasality.
There are two tones: low and high.[2]
References
- ^ Waama at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ a b c Chanard, Charles (2006). "Systèmes Alphabétiques Des Langues Africaines". Archived from the original on 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2024-12-12.