Teke languages
Encyclopedia
The Teke languages are a series of Bantu languages spoken by the Teke people in the western Congo
and in Gabon
. They are coded Zone B.70 in Guthrie's classification. According to Nurse & Philippson (2003), the Teke languages apart from West Teke
form a valid node with Tende (B.80):
Congo Basin
The Congo Basin is the sedimentary basin that is the drainage of the Congo River of west equatorial Africa. The basin begins in the highlands of the East African Rift system with input from the Chambeshi River, the Uele and Ubangi Rivers in the upper reaches and the Lualaba River draining wetlands...
and in Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
. They are coded Zone B.70 in Guthrie's classification. According to Nurse & Philippson (2003), the Teke languages apart from West Teke
West Teke language
West Teke is a Bantu language spoken in the Republic of Congo and Gabon.West Teke is a dialect continuum. The varieties are Tsaayi , Laali, Yaa , and Tyee . The dominant variety by far is Tsaayi....
form a valid node with Tende (B.80):
- Tsege
- Teghe (Tɛgɛ, North Teke)
- Ngungwel (Ngungulu, NE Teke) – Central TekeCentral Teke languageCentral Teke is a member of the Teke languages dialect continuum of the Congolese plateau. Central Teke dialects are Ngungwel and Mpu , Boo , and Nzikou . The are spoken in the Malebo Pool region of the Republic of Congo, with an unknown number of Boo speakers in DRC....
(Njyunjyu/Ndzindziu, Boo/Boma/Eboo) - Tio (Bali) – East TekeEast Teke languageEast Teke is a member of the Teke dialect continuum of the Congolese plateau. The dialects Mosieno and Ŋee may constitute a separate language from Tio Bali ....
(Mosieno, Ng'ee/Ŋee) - Kukwa (Kukuya, South Teke)
- FuumuFuumu languageFuumu is a member of the Teke languages dialect continuum of the Congolese plateau. The two dialects, Fuumu and Wuumu , are sometimes considered separate languages. They are sometimes considered part of South Teke....
(South Teke) – Wuumu (Wumbu) - TieneTiene languageTiene , or Tende, is a Bantu language of the Democratic Republic of Congo....
(B.80) - Mfinu (B.80)
- MpuonoMpuono languageMpuono, or Mpuun, is a Bantu language spoken by several hundred thousand people in the Democratic Republic of Congo....
(B.80)