Guéré (Gere), also called Wè (Wee), is a Kru language spoken by over 300,000 people in the Dix-Huit Montagnes and Moyen-Cavally regions of Ivory Coast.
Phonology The phonology of Guere (here the Zagna dialect of Central Guere / Southern Wè) is briefly sketched out below.
Consonants The consonant phonemes are as follows:
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Labial-velar Labializedvelar Stops Nasal Fricative Approximant
Allophones of some of these phonemes include: is an allophone of before nasal vowels is an allophone of before nasal vowels is an allophone of before nasal vowels is an allophone of in word-initial position is an allophone of after a coronal consonant (alveolar or palatal) In addition, while the nasal consonants and contrast with and before oral vowels, and are thus separate phonemes, before nasal vowels only the nasal consonants occur. and do not occur before nasal vowels, suggesting that historically a phonemic merger between these sounds and the nasals may have occurred in this position.
Vowels Like many West African languages, Guere makes use of a contrast between vowels with advanced tongue root and those with retracted tongue root. In addition, nasal vowels contrast phonemically with oral vowels.
Oral Nasal Front Back Front Back Close (ATR) Close (RTR) Mid (ATR) Mid (RTR) Open (RTR)
Tones Guere is a tonal language and contrasts ten tones:
Tone IPA Example GlossLow "to scatter"Mid "to destroy"High "to die"Top "full"Low–high rising "hat"Low–top rising "banana"Mid–high rising "wall"High–top rising "younger brother"High–low falling "goat"Mid–low falling "penis"
See also Wobe Northern Wè
References