Budza language

(Redirected from Tembo (Motembo))

Budza or Buja (Embudja, Limbudza) is a Bantu language of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Budza
Buja
Native toDR Congo
Native speakers
(230,000 cited 1985 census)[1]
Dialects
  • Budza
  • Tembo
  • Kunda
  • Gbuta
  • Babale
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
bja – Budza
tmv – Tembo
Glottologbudj1234  Bujaic
temb1272  Motembo-Kunda
C.37[2]

There are several neighbouring minor languages which Maho (2009) lists as closely related: C371 Tembo (Motembo or Litembo – distinguish Kitembo), C372 Kunda (Likunda – distinguish Chikunda), C373 Gbuta (Egbuta) and C374 Babale. Only Litembo, with 5,000 speakers, has been assigned an ISO code; Glottolog treats it and Likunda as a single language.

Phonology

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Consonants[3]
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Labiovelar Glottal
Plosive p b t d k g kp gb
Prenasalized ᵐb ⁿd ⁿdʒ ᵑg ᵑgb
Fricative s h
Nasal m n
Approximant w l j
Vowels[3]
Front Central Back
High i u
Mid-high e o
Mid-low ɛ ɔ
Low a

Budza distinguishes between high tone and low tone.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Budza at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Tembo at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ^ a b c Mangulu, Motingea (2003). "La Parler Bujá des Yambuli (Bantou C.37)". Annales Æquatoria (in French). 24: 205–261.