Mantsi language (Nigeria)
| Mantsi | |
|---|---|
| Pyik Mantsi | |
| Pronunciation | [pʲìk mántsì] |
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Region | Bauchi State |
Native speakers | (100 cited 1995)[1] |
Afro-Asiatic
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | zns |
| Glottolog | mang1416 |
| ELP | Mangas |
| Mantsi | |
|---|---|
| People | mántsì |
| Language | pʲìk mántsì |
Mantsi (also known as Ma’as or Mangas) is an endangered
Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Mangas town in Bauchi State, Nigeria.[1] Blench (2020) reports that it is also called Mantsi. According to Blench, the structure of Mantsi differs significantly from the other South Bauchi languages.[2]
Word lists of Mantsi had previously been published in Kiyoshi Shimizu's (1978) South Bauchi survey, which first mentioned the existence of the language.[3] An unpublished word list was also recorded by Ronald Cosper (n.d.).[4]
Names
Mantsi speakers refer to their language as Pyik Mantsi [pʲìk mántsì], and to themselves as the Mantsi [mántsì] people. Although there are fewer than 1,000 speakers, the language is still being spoken by children.[2]
Demographics
Mantsi is spoken in the single village of Mantsi (locally known as Maɗana [mánànā] or Ma’as [màʔās]) in the southern part of
Laar peoples, who speak closely related but distinct languages, live just to the northeast of Mantsi village in the nearby villages of Kir and Laar, respectively.[2]
Classification
Mantsi belongs to the Kir branch of the
Laar, as shown by the lexical comparisons below.[2]
| Gloss | Mantsi | Kir | Laar |
|---|---|---|---|
| ash | múrə̀m | ŋúreŋ | ŋŋoro |
| bird | ɗōōr | dot | ɗwoot |
| blood | púrùm | pirə̀ŋ | firàŋ |
| bone | gùl | gwàŋàl | gwaŋal |
| fat | gìndɨ́r | yində̀r | yində̀r |
| leg | wāsɨ̄m | wasəm | wasəm |
| moon | pʲāŋ | pyaŋ | pyaŋ |
| mountain | lamba | lamba | lamba |
| stone | pʲār | pyat | pyat |
| kill | túk | tuk | tuk |
Mantsi also has some
lexical innovations
, which are:
| Gloss | Mantsi |
|---|---|
| fish | kʲáálòŋ |
| night | dāːhùr |
| path | da᷄n |
| nine | krōmsā |
Phonology
Mantsi has 3 level tones, as well as rising and falling contour tones.[2]
Grammar
Number is not marked morphologically.[2]
Lexicon
Plants and animals
Some Mantsi names of plants and animals:[2]
| Mantsi name | Mantsi name in IPA | English name | Scientific name |
|---|---|---|---|
| alade nawe | àládè náwè | bush pig |
|
| anggulu | àŋgùlú | vulture | Necrosyrtes monachus
|
| asha | áʃà | acha; fonio | Digitaria exilis |
| baanpɨri | bàːnpɨŕ ì | patas monkey |
Erythrocebus patas
|
| bagərəm | bàgə̀rə̀m | spitting cobra | Naja nigricollis
|
| banggira | bàŋgìrà | monitor lizard | |
| banyangwe | bàɲāŋwé | jackal | Canis adustus
|
| bapakɨr | bàpākɨŕ | leopard | Panthera pardus
|
| barasa | bàràsā | risga | Plectranthus esculentus
|
| busha | búʃá | hedgehog | Atelerix albiventris
|
| bəbaamkam | bə̀bàːmkām | agama lizard |
|
| ɓal | ɓāl | bean; cowpea | Vigna unguiculata
|
| ɓalyagho | ɓàljáɣò | chameleon | |
| ɓar | ɓār | pumpkin | Cucurbita pepo |
| ɓarwak | ɓàrʷāk | rock python |
Python sebae
|
| ɓauna | ɓáwná | buffalo | Syncerus caffer
|
| ɓiikhi | ɓíːxì | silk-cotton tree sp. | |
| ɓindɨr | ɓīndɨr̄ | scorpion | |
| ɓoko | ɓókò | baobab |
Adansonia digitata |
| ɓonggutər | ɓòŋgútə̄r | grasscutter; cane rat | Thryonomys swinderianus
|
| dabra | dàbrà | shea tree |
Vitellaria paradoxa
|
| ɗeesi | ɗéːsì | tamarind | Tamarindus indica
|
| gar | gàr | black monkey | Cercopithecus tantalus
|
| giginya | gígíɲà | fan palm | Borassus aethiopum |
| giler | gílēr | weaver bird |
Ploceus cucullatus
|
| goprang | gòpràŋ | okra | Abelmoschus esculentus
|
| gwomli | gʷòmlì | pouched rat, giant rat | Cricetomys gambianus
|
| gyerwul | gʲérwúl | spiral cowpea | Vigna unguiculata
|
| hangkaka | hànkákà | pied crow | Corvus albus
|
| hom | ho᷄m | baboon | Papio anubis
|
| hur | hùr | porcupine | Hystrix cristata
|
| iski wandɨr | ískì wàndɨr̀ | Angolan green snake | Philothamnus angolensis |
| kambong | kāmbôŋ | cocoyam | Colocasia esculenta
|
| koon | kōːn | bush fowl; francolin | Francolinus |
| kursi | kūrsī | sorrel; roselle | Hibiscus esculentus
|
| kwongsi | kʷóŋsì | garden egg |
Solanum incanum |
| kyap | kʲâp | beniseed; sesame | Sesamum indicum
|
| kyoor | kʲóːr | crocodile | Crocodylus suchus
|
| lalo | lálò | Jews' mallow | Corchorus olitorius |
| lɨng | lɨŋ̂ | elephant | Elephas maximus
|
| maiwa | màjwā | millet sp. | |
| mam bakin | mám bàkìn | aerial yam |
Dioscorea bulbifera |
| mam nawe | mám nàwè | bush yam | Dioscorea sp. |
| min | mīn | locust bean |
Parkia biglobosa |
| ndyaar | ndʲáār | house bat |
Scotophilus sp. |
| nnyan | ɲɲân | black plum | Vitex doniana |
| rama | rámà | kenaf | Hibiscus cannabinus
|
| rimi | rímí | silk-cotton tree | Ceiba pentandra |
| rwaknisisan barina | rʷàknísīsān bàrīnā | royal python |
Python regius
|
| sham | ʃàm | guinea fowl |
Numida meleagris
|
| shin | ʃìn | dassie, rock rabbit, rock hyrax |
Procavia capensis
|
| shuwaka | ʃùwākā | bitterleaf |
Vernonia amygdalina |
| tlari | ɬàrì | ground squirrel | Xerus erythropus
|
| tlari kɨɓaryam | ɬàrì kɨɓ́ àrja᷄m | Senegal galago |
Galago senegalensis
|
| twang | tʷáŋ | tigernut |
Cyperus esculentus |
| wang | wāŋ | Bambara nut |
Vigna subterranea |
Numerals
Mantsi numerals:[2]
| Gloss | Mantsi |
|---|---|
| one | nə̄m |
| two | ɗīːn |
| three | wéːn |
| four | úpsí |
| five | tūːn |
| six | màɣà |
| seven | ɲíngí |
| eight | gàːmfí |
| nine | krōmsā |
| ten | zúp |
| eleven | sūlūŋ nə᷄m |
Notes
- ^ a b Mantsi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ a b c d e f g h Blench, Roger. 2020. An introduction to Mantsi, a South Bauchi language of Central Nigeria.
- ^ Shimizu, Kiyoshi 1978. The Southern Bauchi Group of Chadic Languages: A survey report. Coll. Africana Marburgensia, n° 2 (Special Issue).
- ^ Cosper, Ronald n.d. Wordlist of South Bauchi (West Chadic) languages ; Boghom, Mangas, Buli, Dott, Geji, Jimi, Polci, Sayanci, Zul. ms.