Yasa language


Iyasa is a Bantu language of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea by Ndowe coastal fishing people. It is also spoken by Pygmies, perhaps Babongo, in Gabon.
Iyasa also goes by the names Bongwe, Lyaasa, and Maasa. Dialects are Bweko, Vendo, Bodele, Marry, One, Asonga, Bomui, Mogana, Mooma, Mapanga. It may in turn be a dialect of Kombe. Speakers report that Kombe and Iyasa are almost perfectly mutually intelligible.

Classification

Dieu and Renaud classify Iyasa as a Sawabantu language.

Geographic Distribution

Iyasa is spoken along the coast of Cameroon south of Kribi, including in the city of Campo. It is also spoken across the Ntem River in Equatorial Guinea. The northernmost Iyasa village is Lolabe, 31 km south of Kribi.

Sounds/Phonology

Iyasa has a seven-vowel system:
FrontCentralBack
Close
Near-close
Close-mid
Mid
Open-mid
Opena

It also has 22 phonemic consonants:

Grammar

Noun classes

Iyasa has 12 noun classes, as outlined in the table below :
Class numberPrefixAllomorphsExample Translation Translation
1mù-mʷ-mù-tʃɛ́tʃɛ́
mw-ánà		le bébé
l'enfant		baby
child
2wà-w-wà-dóles femmeswomen
3mò-m-, mʷ-, ŋ-mò-ló
ŋ-kɔ́jɛ́		la fête
le pannier		party
basket
4mè-m-, mʲ-mè-kɔles panniersbaskets
5ɗì-ɗ-, i-, dʒ-ɗì-lɔ̂
ì-dàkà		l'oreille
la maladie		ear
illness
6mà-m-mà-lɔ̂les oreillesears
7è-èj-è-lɛ́mila languetongue
8ɓè-ɓèj-ɓè-kòndà
ɓèj-ìmà		les souliers
les choses		shoes
things
9/10N-m-, n-, ŋ-, ɲ-, øm-bàdì
n-dómì
ø-sɔ̀kù		maison
père
éléphant		house
father
elephant
13lì-l-lì-ɲɔ̀ní
l-éjì		les oiseaux
les soleils		birds
suns
14ɓù-ɓʷ-ɓù-dù
bʷ-àló		l'âne
la pirogue		donkey
canoe
19vi-v-vì-ɲɔ̀níl'oiseaubird