Kiong language
Kiong | |
---|---|
Kayon | |
Akoiyang | |
Native to | Nigeria |
Region | Cross River State |
Ethnicity | 570 Akayon (no date)[1] |
Native speakers | 8 (2010)[1] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | kkm |
Glottolog | kion1242 |
ELP | Kiong |
Kiong, or Kayon, is a nearly extinct Upper Cross River language of Nigeria. Okoyong speakers of the Kiong language are geographically located in the Odukpani and Akamkpa region of Cross River State. This language was documented in 1990s, and it have 25 speakers counted in 1998. But in 2010, only 8 elders were able to speak Kiong (all in the 70s), leaving the language critically endangered/nearly extinct.
Phonology
[edit]Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Labiovelar | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plosive | b | t d | k | kp | |
Fricative | f | s | x | ||
Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |
Approximant | w | r | j |
- /b/ is unvoiced [p] word-finally.
- /x/ can be heard as [h~ʁ].
- /ŋ/ is labialized [ŋʷ] syllable-initially.
Front | Central | Back | |
---|---|---|---|
High | i iː | u uː | |
Mid-high | e eː | o oː | |
Mid-low | ɔ ɔː | ||
Low | a aː |
Kiong also has four tones;[2] high, low, rising, and falling.
References
[edit]External links
[edit]- ELAR archive of Documenting libation rituals in Kiong