The Mangbetu–Asoa or Mangbetu languages of the Central Sudanic language family are a cluster of closely related languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The languages are Mangbetu, spoken by perhaps a million people, and the smaller Lombi and Asoa.
Blench (2000) considers Lombi to be part of the Mangbetu dialect continuum. Asoa is spoken by Pygmies.
Proto-Mangbetu has been reconstructed by Demolin (1992).[1]
Comparative vocabulary
Mangbetu-Asua languages comparative lexicon:[2]
Gloss |
Asua |
Mangbetu |
Nabulu |
Lombi |
Makere |
Malele
|
bee |
ángíyé |
nɛ́ngágɪ̀ |
nɛ́ngágɪ́zè |
nɛ́ngágì |
nɛ́ngágɪ̀ |
nɛ́ngágɪ̀
|
animal |
élíè |
nérí |
nélí |
nérí |
nérí |
nérí
|
tree |
kílílɛ̀yɛ̀ |
nèkírè |
nèkílè |
néhò |
nèkílè |
néhò
|
mouth |
tíkpòè |
nètíkpò |
nètíkpò |
nètí |
nɛ̀kɔ́rɔ́ |
nèkóró
|
arm |
tɛ̂ |
nɛ́tɛ́ |
nɛ́tɛ́ |
nɛ́tɛ́ |
nɛ́tɛ́ |
nɛ́tɛ́
|
goat |
àmɛ́mɛ̂ |
nàmɛ́mɛ́ |
nàmɛ́mɛ́ |
nàmyɛ́myɛ́ |
nàmɛ́mɛ́ |
nàmɛ́mɛ́
|
dog |
ísìyɛ̀ |
nésì |
nésì |
nésì |
nésì |
nésì
|
horn |
lígá |
néígá |
néégá |
nálígá |
náágá |
náɛ́gá
|
to cultivate |
ɔ̀ʔà |
nɔ̀ʔà |
nɔ̀ʔà |
nɔ̀ʔà |
nɔ̀ʔà |
nɔ̀ʔà
|
water |
gwò |
ègwò |
ègwò |
ègwò |
ègwò |
ègwò
|
elephant |
ʊ̀kɔ̀ |
nɔ́kɔ̀ |
nɔ́kɔ̀ |
nɔ́kɔ̀ |
nɔ́kɔ̀ |
nɔ́kɔ̀
|
iron |
kídígwá |
néímbá |
nèèmbà |
èdùmòòmà |
náámbá |
náɛ́mbá
|
arrow |
líkámʊ́ɛ̀ |
nɛ̀vàngà |
nɛ̀vàngà |
nɛ̀mbààngú |
nɛ̀vàngà |
nɛ̀vàngà
|
See also
References