Lese language

Lese is a Central Sudanic language of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as a name for the people who speak this language. The Lese people, live in association with the Efé Pygmies and share their language, which is occasionally known as Lissi or Efe.

Lese
Efé
Native toDemocratic Republic of the Congo
RegionIturi forest
Native speakers
(70,000 cited 1991)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
les – Lese
efe – Efe
Glottologlese1243  Lese
efee1239  Efe

Although Efe is given a separate ISO code, Bahuchet (2006) notes that it is not even a distinct dialect, though there is dialectical variation in the language of the Lese (Dese, Karo).

Lese is spoken in Mambasa Territory, Watsa Territory, and Irumu Territory.[2]

Phonology

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Labio-
velar		 Glottal
Plosive voiceless p t ʈ k k͡p ʔ
voiced b d ɡ ɡ͡b
implosive ɓ ɗ ɠ͡ɓ
Fricative voiceless f s h
voiced v
Affricate voiceless p͡f t͡ʃ
voiced b͡v d͡ʒ
Nasal m n
Lateral l
Rhotic r
Approximant j w
  • Lese can also have a doubly articulated [q͡p].[3]
  • /r/ can also be heard as a tap sound [ɾ].[4]

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i u
Near-close ɪ ʊ
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a
  • In rare cases, /ɛ/ can be heard in phonological opposition as a rounded [œ].[5]

References
  1. Lese at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Efe at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Bokula, Moiso & Agozia-Kario Irumu. 1994. Bibliographie et matériaux lexicaux des langues Moru-Mangbetu (Soudan-Central, Zaïre). Annales Aequatoria 10: 203‒245.
  3. Didier Demolin, Bernard Teston (September 1997). "Phonetic characteristics of double articulations in some Mangbutu-Efe languages" (PDF). International Speech Communication Association: 803–806.
  4. Smith, Edwin W. (1938). A Tentative Grammar of the Efe or Mbuti language.
  5. Vorbichler, Anton (1965). Die Phonologie und Morphologie des Balese (Ituri-Urwald, Kongo). J. J. Augustin: Glückstadt.
  • Bahuchet, Serge. 2006. "Languages of the African Rainforest « Pygmy » Hunter-Gatherers: Language Shifts without Cultural Admixture." In Historical linguistics and hunter-gatherers populations in global perspective. Leipzig.


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