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Mmen language

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Mmen
Bafmeng
Native toCameroon
Native speakers
(35,000 cited 2001)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3bfm
Glottologmmen1238
ELPFungom

Mmen (autonym: Bafmeng) is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon.

As a Centre Ring language of Narrow Grassfields, a subdivision of Wide Grassfields within the Southern Bantoid languages, Mmen is part of a cluster including six other languages i.e. Babanki, Bum, Kom, Kuk, Kung and Oku.[2][full citation needed]

Etymology

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The name Mmen ([mɛn]) comes from the verb sé mwɛ̀yn [sémɣɛ̀yn] 'to open up thick bush-covered land' and is used by the speakers referring to both their language and their land.

Ethnologue[3] and ALCAM, Atlas Linguistique du Cameroon[4] use the name and spelling Mmen.

Bafumen is the name of the village where the largest number of speakers is found i.e. 30 000[5] and the name adopted by German colonizers for the area and formerly used for the language. Other villages where Mmen is spoken are Cha’, Yemgeh, Nyos, Ipalim among others.

Phonology

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Consonants

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Mmen has 27 phonemic consonants.[6]

Labial Alveolar Palato-alveolar Velar Labial–velar
Plosive voiceless /p/ /t/ /k/[a] /k͡p/
voiced /ᵐb/ /ⁿd/ /ᵑg/
Affricate voiceless /p͡f/ /t͡s/ /t͡ʃ/
voiced /ᵐb͡v/ /ⁿd͡z/ /ⁿd͡ʒ/
Fricative voiceless /f/ /s/ /ʃ/
voiced /v/ /z/ /ʒ/ /ɣ/
Nasal /m/ /n/ /ɲ/[b] /ŋ/
Lateral /l/
Approximant /j/ /w/
  1. ^ [k] is in complementary distribution with [ʔ]. [ʔ] appears root medially and root finally, and [k] appears elsewhere.[7]
  2. ^ /ɲ/ sometimes depalatalizes to [n] between vowels.[8]

Vowels

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Monophthongs

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Mmen has 9 phonemic monophthongs.[9]

Front Central Back
Close /i/ /u/
Close-mid /e/[a][b] /ə/[c] /o/[d]
Open-mid /ɛ/ /ɜ/ /ɔ/
Open /ä/
  1. ^ /e/ optionally diphthongizes to [ei̯].[10]
  2. ^ /e/ optionally becomes [i] at the beginning of a word.[10]
  3. ^ [ɨ] is an optional allophone of /ə/.[11]
  4. ^ [ʊ] is an optional allophone of /o/.[12]

Diphthongs

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Mmen also has six phonemic diphthongs, all ending in /i/.[13]

Front Central Back
Close-mid əi̯ oi̯
Open-mid ɛi̯ ɜi̯ ɔi̯
Open äi̯

Tone

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Mmen has 9 phonemic tones. There are three level tones (high, mid, and low) and six contour tones (high-low, high-mid, mid-low, mid-high, low-mid, and low-falling).[14]

References

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  1. ^ Mmen at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Lewis 2009
  3. ^ Lewis 2009
  4. ^ Dieu and Renaud 1983
  5. ^ Troyer, et al. 1995:8
  6. ^ Björkestedt (2010:9)
  7. ^ Björkestedt (2010:11)
  8. ^ Björkestedt (2010:52)
  9. ^ Björkestedt (2010:31)
  10. ^ a b Björkestedt (2010:32)
  11. ^ Björkestedt (2010:32–33)
  12. ^ Björkestedt (2010:33)
  13. ^ Björkestedt (2010:36)
  14. ^ Björkestedt (2010:44)

Bibliography

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  • Agha-ah, Chiatoh Blasius (April 1993). The Noun Class System of Mmen (post-graduate diploma thesis). University of Yaoundé.
  • Agha, Grace Beh (September 1987). The Phonology of Mmen (post-graduate diploma thesis). University of Yaoundé.
  • Bangha, George F. (2003). The Mmen Noun Phrase (Thesis). hdl:11858/00-001M-0000-0012-7FC1-6.
  • Björkestedt, Lena (2010). A Phonological Sketch of the Mmen Language (PDF). CABTAL. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-03-16.
  • Björkestedt, Lena (2011). Mmen Orthography Guide. SIL.
  • Huey, Paul; Mbongue, Joseph; Troyer, Duane (May 1995). A rapid appraisal survey of Mmen (ALCAM 821) and Aghem dialects (ALCAM 810), Menchum Division, Northwest Province (Report). SIL Cameroon.


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