Nyong (Daganyonga), also known as Mubako and Bali-Kumbat, is a Leko language spoken in two well-separated enclaves in Cameroon and Nigeria. Cameroonian speakers consider themselves to be ethnically Chamba.
Nyong is linguistically distinct from nearby languages. It is instead more similar to the Chamba language which is spoken to the north. Nyong and Chamba have 85% lexical similarity.
Distribution Ethnologue (22nd ed.) lists the following Nyong villages and locations.
Cameroon Mezam division, Santa subdivision: Baligham village Ngo-Ketunjia division, Balikumbat subdivision: Baligashu, Baligansin, and Balikumbat villages on Ndop plain Nigeria Adamawa State: Mayo Belwa LGA Taraba State: Zing LGA. 6 villages.
Phonology The vowels of Nyong are /i/, /u/, /e/, /o/, /ə/ /ɛ/, /ɔ/, and /a/. Length contrast exists in all vowels except /ə/ and /o/, which are always short. There are five tones: high, mid, low, rising, and falling.
+Consonant Phonemes Labial Dental/Alveolar PalatalVelarLabiovelar Glottal Nasal m n ɲŋ Stopp, b t, d k, g Affricate ndŋɡkp, gb Approximant ljw Fricative f, v s, z h
References