Manjak or Manjack (, ; ) or Njak is a Bak language of Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. The language is also known as Kanyop.
In 2006, the total number of speakers was estimated at 315,300, including 184,000 in Guinea-Bissau, 105,000 in Senegal and 26,300 in The Gambia.
Dialects The Manjak dialects below are distinct enough that some might be considered separate languages. Bok (Babok, Sarar, Teixeira Pinto, Tsaam) Likes-Utsia (Baraa, Kalkus) Cur (Churo) Lund Yu (Pecixe, Siis, Pulhilh) Unhate (Binhante, Bissau)
The Manjak dialects listed by Wilson (2007) areWilson, William André Auquier. 2007. Guinea Languages of the Atlantic group: description and internal classification. (Schriften zur Afrikanistik, 12.) Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. Canchungo (kancuŋuʔ) – central dialect Baboque (babɔk) (formerly Teixeira Pinto) – eastern dialect Churo () – northern dialect Pecixe (locally called pəhlihl; otherwise pəsiis), on an island to the south Calequisse (kaləkiis), to the west of Canchungo
Phonology
Consonants LabialAlveolarPost-alveolar(Alveolo-)palatalVelarNasal Plosive/Affricatevoiceless voiced prenasal vl. prenasal vd. Fricativevoiceless ()voiced ()Lateral Approximant
Sounds are heard in free-fluctuation with affricates in all positions except following nasals. Sounds may also be lenited as when in intervocalic or word-final positions. can also be heard as a trill in free variation with when in word-final positions.
Vowels FrontCentralBackClose Close-mid ~ ~ Open-mid Open Only vowels and may also have lengthened equivalents; and .
Sounds may also range to more mid sounds in free variation. /ɐ/ may have a central allophone as [ʌ̈].
+DiphthongsFrontBackClose-mid Open-mid
Sounds may have some fluctuation with lengthened sounds .
Writing system The official spelling system for Manjak established by the Senegalese government is regulated by Decree No. 2005-983 of 21 October 2005.
+ Manjak alphabet (Senegal) A B C D E Ë F G H I J K L M N Ñ Ŋ O P R S Ŝ T [illegible] U W Y Z a b c d e ë f g h i j k l m n ñ ŋ o p r s ŝ t [illegible] u w y z
References
Further reading
External links Decree no. 2005-983 of 21 October 2005 relating to the spelling and the separation of words in Manjakú via the website of the Journal officiel.