Nyimemogo language
| Nyimemogo | |
|---|---|
| Nyimíimookyo | |
| Pronunciation | [ɲímí:mə̀:kʲə̀] |
| Native speakers | 50 million (no date) |
| Language family | Trans-Puzimm
|
| Writing system | Vaniuan script (Nyimemogo alphabet) |
| Official status | |
| Official language in | Ebo Nganagam |
| CWS code | mogo |
Nyimemogo (Nyimemogo: Nyimíimookyo [ɲímí:mə̀:kʲə̀]) is a Trans-Puzimm language spoken primarily in the Republic of Kahamogo within the nation of Ebo Nganagam. While it holds no official status on the national level, it is co-official with Balak within Kahamogo. It is spoken by over 50 million people as a native language, with a further 30 million second-language speakers.
Classification
History
Imperial era
Under the Balak Empire, Nyimemogo was granted co-official status alongside Balak in the Imperial subject of Kahamogo.
Phonology
Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i i: | u u: | |
| Mid | ə ə: | ||
| Open | a a: |
In addition to these distinctions in quality and length, Nyimemogo vowels exhibit a tonal distinction between low and high tones, i.e. /ə̀/ vs /ə́/. A limited degree of tone sandhi exists, with low-tone vowels being realised as mid-tone vowels when followed by a high-tone vowel in the next syllable, i.e. /ɲìmí:/ [ɲīmí:] "tongue.CNS".
Consonants
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | |
| Stop | p | t | k kʲ | |
| Affricate | t͡s | t͡ʃ | ||
| Fricative | β | s | ʃ | ɣ ɣʲ |
| Approximant | w | l | j |
Phonotactics
The maximal syllable structure in Nyimemogo is CVC.
Orthography
Nyimemogo is written using a modified version of the Vaniuan script.
Morphology
Nouns
Pronouns
Verbs
Auxiliaries
Adjectives
Adpositions
Syntax
Nyimemogo exhibits a strict V2 word order; the default word order in Nyimemogo clauses is Subject-Aux-Verb in intransitive clauses, and Patient-Aux-Agent-Verb in transitive clauses, with the auxiliary mandatorily in the second position of the clause with only a single constituent preceding it. Default word order may be deviated from for pragmatic purposes, such as emphasis and topic-fronting.