Yɛmba or Yemba, also Yémba or Bamiléké Dschang, is a major Bamileke language in West Region of Cameroon. It was approximately spoken by 500,000 or so people in the country in 2023.
Despite originally being exclusively a spoken language, Yemba writing was developed by Maurice Tadadjeu (co-creator of the General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages) and Steven Bird. Their team developed a small Yemba–French Dictionary covering French translations of over 3,000 Yemba words and expressions. The Mmuock dialect also has a proposed orthography.
Phonology Consonants LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottalPlosivevoiceless()voicedAffricateFricativevoicelessvoiced()NasalRhotic()Approximantlateral()central
Sounds /t͡ʃ ʃ ʒ/ are included as phonemes in some analyses. In most analyses, they are considered as allophones of /t͡s s z/. Sounds [p l ɣ] are consonant alternation sounds between the following consonants /b d ɡ/. Alternation sounds of /j w/ are labialized and palatalized sounds [ɡʲ ɡʷ]. Graphemes of the alterations and allophones [t͡ʃ ʃ ʒ p l] are noted in the Yemba alphabet as c sh j p l. An /r/ sound can also be included in the current language, and written in the Yemba alphabet as r. The prosodies of palatalization and labialization [ʲ ʷ], are written orthographically with lowercase graphemes y w. A grapheme for aspiration [ʰ] among consonants is written as h.
Vowels FrontCentralBackHigh MidLow
/ʉ/ is included as a phoneme in some analyses. In more abstract analyses, it is considered as a palatalization of /u/. Vowel length is distinguished using double vowel sounds (ex. aa [aː])
Tone Three tones are marked as high [á], mid [ā], or low [à]. Low tones are unmarked when written.
References
Petit dictionnaire Yemba Francais
External links Aleco Yemba.net - Online Dictionaries and Learning Tools for the Yemba Language