Attié (Akie, Akye, Atche, Atie, Atshe) is a language of uncertain classification within the Kwa branch of the Niger–Congo family. It is spoken by perhaps half a million people in Ivory Coast.
Phonology
Consonants LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarLabio-velarGlottalNasalm[n][ɲ][ŋ][ŋw]Plosivevoicelessptckk͡pvoicedbdɟɡɡ͡bAffricatevoicelesst͡st͡ʃvoiced(d͡z)d͡ʒFricativevoicelessfsʃhvoicedvzApproximantjwLaterallTrill(r)
/z/ may also be heard as an affricate [d͡z] in free variation among speakers. /l/ may also be heard as [r] when following consonants. Nasal sounds [n, ɲ, ŋ~ŋw] only occur as a result of sounds /l, j, w/ occurring in nasal positions when preceding or following nasal vowels. /h/ in nasal positions occurs as [h̃]. /w/ may be realized as labio-palatal [ɥ] when occurring after palatal sounds /t͡ʃ, d͡ʒ, ɟ/.
Vowels +Oral vowelsFrontCentralBackHighiuHigh-mideɨoLow-midɛəɔLowa Sounds /ɨ, ə/ are phonetically heard as [ɨ̞, ɘ] or [ə̞, ɜ]. +Nasal vowelsFrontCentralBackHighĩũLow-midɛ̃ə̃ɔ̃Lowã
Writing system + Attié Alphabet a an b c d dzh e ë ën ɛ ɛn f g gb h i in j k kp l m n o ö ɔ ɔn p r s sh t ts tsh u un v w y z
A vowel followed by <n> indicates nasalisation.
Tones are indicated with a diacritic before or after the syllable : + Tone notation Tone Sign Writing Example Translation Low hyphen before syllable ˗ ˗ka thing Mid nothing ∅ wu acheke High apostrophe ʼ ’mi mouth Very high double apostrophe ˮ ˮvin children Falling hyphen after syllable ˗ be˗ pestle
References
Works cited