Jump to content

Xamtanga language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from ISO 639:xan)
Xamtanga
ኽምጣጘ‎ (X’imt’a-nga)
Pronunciation[ˈχamtaŋa]
Native toEthiopia
RegionNorth Amhara Region
EthnicityXamirs
speakersL1: 210,000 (2010)[1]
L2: 11,000[1]
Ge'ez script
Language codes
ISO 639-3xan
Glottologxamt1239
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.

Xamtanga (also Agawinya, Khamtanga, Simt'anga, Xamir, Xamta) is a Central Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia by the Xamir people.

Phonology

[edit]

Vowels

[edit]
Front Central Back
High i ɨ u
Mid vowel ə
Low vowel a

The central vowels ə a/ have fronted and backed allophones, depending on the adjacent consonant(s).

Consonants

[edit]
Labial Coronal Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
plain labialized plain labialized
Nasal m n ŋ ŋʷ
Plosive/
Affricate
voiceless t t͡ʃ k q
voiced b d d͡ʒ ɡ ɡʷ
ejective t͡ʃʼ kʷʼ
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ χ χʷ h*
voiced z
ejective
Lateral l
Tap ɾ
Semivowel j w

Phonological processes

[edit]

Gemination

[edit]

In positions other than word-initial, Xamtanga contrasts geminate and non-geminate consonants. With most consonants, the difference between a geminate and a non-geminate is simply one of length, but the cases of /b t q/ are more complex. When not word-initial, non-geminate /b/ is realized as a bilabial [β] or labiodental fricative [v], and /t/ and /q/ are realized as affricates: [tθ qχ]. Their geminate equivalents may be realized as prolonged [bː qː], or can simply be short [b t q].

In word-initial position, geminate consonants do not occur, and /b t q/ are realized as plosives.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Xamtanga at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Appleyard, D. L. (1987). "A Grammatical Sketch of Khamtanga—I". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 50 (2): 241–266. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00049028. S2CID 123007452.
  • Appleyard, D. L. (1987). "A Grammatical Sketch of Khamtanga—II". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 50 (3): 470–507. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00039471. S2CID 246637332.
  • Appleyard, David L. (1988). "A Definite Article in Xamtanga". African Languages and Cultures. 1 (1): 15–24. doi:10.1080/09544168808717677.
  • Appleyard, David L. (2006). A Comparative Dictionary of the Agaw Languages. Kuschitische Sprachstudien – Cushitic Language Studies. Vol. 24. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. ISBN 978-3-89645-481-2.
  • Darmon, Chloé (2010). "L'agäw xamtanga: une langue couchitique en contact avec l'amharique". Pount. Cahiers d'études: Corne de l'Afrique - Arabie du Sud. 4: 169–195.