Karon language

The Karon or Kalɔɔn[2] language is an endangered language of Senegal and Gambia. It belongs to the Bak branch of the Niger–Congo language family, and is particularly closely related to the Mlomp language.

For the Papuan languages, see Karon language (Indonesia) (disambiguation).
Karon
Native toSenegal, Gambia
RegionSouthwest Senegal coast
Native speakers
15,000 (2007)[1]
Niger–Congo?
Language codes
ISO 639-3krx
Glottologkaro1294
Kalɔɔn
Personalɔɔn
Languagekägup kɔlɔɔnay

Karon is spoken in a coastal area north of the mouth of the Casamance River. A person is called alɔɔn in the language, and speakers refer to their own language as kägup kɔlɔɔnay.[2]

Phonology

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Stop voiceless p t tʃ k ʔ
prenasal ᵐp ⁿt ᶮtʃ ᵑk
Nasal plain m n ɲ
tense mː ɲː
Fricative f s h
Lateral l
Approximant w j

Vowels
Front Central Back
oral nasal oral nasal oral nasal
Close i iː ĩ u uː ũ
Mid e eː ẽ o oː õ
Open a aː ã

Advanced tongue root is marked with an acute accent /á/.[3]

References
  1. Karon at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Wilson, William André Auquier. 2007. Guinea Languages of the Atlantic group: description and internal classification. (Schriften zur Afrikanistik, 12.) Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
  3. Sambou, Pierre (2002). Phonologie et elements de grammaire du jóola karon.


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