The Evolution of Noun Prefixes in West-Coastal Bantu Languages of Gabon
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Data and Methods
3. Synchrony and Diachrony of Noun Class Prefixes
- Proto-Bantu noun class prefixes 12, 13, and 19 survived in none of the languages.
- Proto-Bantu noun class prefix 11 was retained in only few languages.
- Proto-Bantu locative noun class prefixes 16, 17, and 18 survived in most languages but not all. I will not further consider them in this study because of complexities in terms of syntax.
- Proto-Bantu noun class prefix 7 and 8 was lost in only one language.
- The reflexes of the noun class prefixes manifest a great degree of formal uniformity across the languages of my sample, especially when it comes to classes 1–10.
- Tonally, the low tones of Proto-Bantu, except for classes 9 and 10, were retained.
- Vocalic prefixes occur only in a minority of the sampled languages, i.e., in B60 and Lateghe (B71), where they coexist with CV-type prefixes that prevail everywhere else. As Proto-Bantu also had CV-type prefixes, vocalic prefixes can be considered a historical innovation that merits further examination.
- The prefixes of noun classes 5, 7, 8 and 11 also manifest some particularities which require a closer historical look.
3.1. Classes 1 and 3 *mʊ̀-
3.2. Class 2 *bà- and Class 6 *mà-
3.3. Class 4 *mɪ̀-
3.4. Class 5 *ì-
3.5. Class 7 *kɪ̀-
before V-initial stems: | *kɪ̀- | kì- | ʃì- | sì- |
before C-initial stems: | *kɪ̀- | ì- |
3.6. Class 8 *bì-
3.7. Classes 9-10 *n-
3.8. Classe 11 *dʊ̀-
3.9. Classe 11 *bʊ̀-
3.10. Classe 15 *kʊ̀-
4. Conclusions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
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Guthrie Code | Language | Sources |
---|---|---|
B501 | Liwanzi | (Dodo Bounguendza, 1986; Mouélé, 1997) |
B51 | Liduma | (Mickala-Manfoumbi, 1988; Mouélé, 1997) |
B52 | Inzebi | (Marchal-Nasse, 1989; Idiata, 2000) |
B53 | Itsengi | (Mouélé, 1997; Ntolo, 2001) |
B602 | Lekaningi | (Munguengui Nzamba, 2009; Mba Ondo, 2008) |
B62 | Lembaama | (Blanchon & Alihanga, 1992; Okoudowa, 2005) |
B63 | Lendumu | (Mouélé, 1988; Medjo Mvé, 1989) |
B701 | Lintsitseke | (Ikapi Nziengui, 2014) |
B71 | Lateghe | (Assoumou Ella, 2004; Tsoue, 2009) |
cl. | Proto-Bantu | Liwanzi B501 | Liduma B51 | Inzebi B52 | Itsengi B53 | Lekani-ngi B602 | Lembaa-ma B62 | Lendu-mu B63 | Lintsitse-ke B701 | Lateghe B71 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | *mʊ̀- | mù- | mù- | mù- | mù- | mò- | ò- | ò- | ù- | ò- |
2 | *bà- | bà- | bà- | bà- | bà- | bà- | à- | à- | bà- | à- |
3 | *mʊ̀- | mù- | mù- | mù- | mù- | mò- | ò- | ò- | ù- | ò- |
4 | *mɪ̀- | mì- | mì- | mì- | mì- | mè- | è- | è- | mì- | è- |
5 | *i- | dzì-/lì- | dì-/lì- | dì-/lì- | dʒì-/lì- | dʒì-/lè- | dʒì-/lè- | dʒì-/lè- | dzì-/lì- | dzì-/Ø- |
6 | *mà- | mà- | mà- | mà- | mà- | mà- | à- | à- | mà- | à- |
7 | *kɪ̀- | sì-/ì- | sì-/ì- | ʃì-/ì- | ʃì-/ì- | _ | kì- | gì- | kì- | kà- |
8 | *bì- | bì- | bì- | bì- | bì- | _ | bì- | bì- | bì- | è- |
9 | *N- | N- | N- | N- | N- | N- | N- | N- | N- | N- |
10 | *N- | N- | N- | N- | N- | N- | N- | N- | N- | N- |
11 | *dʊ̀- | _ | _ | lə̀- | lù- | _ | _ | _ | _ | là- |
12 | *kà- | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
13 | *tʊ̀- | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
14 | *bʊ̀- | bù- | bù- | bù- | bù- | ò- | ò- | ò- | bù- | ò- |
15 | *kʊ̀- | kù- | kù- | ù- | ù- | ò- | ò- | kù- | kù- | kù- |
16 | *pà- | yà- | yà- | βà- | βà- | _ | _ | yà- | _ | _ |
17 | *kʊ̀- | ɣù- | ɣù- | ɣù- | ɣù- | kù- | _ | kù- | _ | _ |
18 | *mʊ̀- | mù- | mù- | mù- | mù- | mò- | _ | mò- | _ | _ |
19 | *pì- | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
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Niama Niama, J. The Evolution of Noun Prefixes in West-Coastal Bantu Languages of Gabon. Languages 2025, 10, 144. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10060144
Niama Niama J. The Evolution of Noun Prefixes in West-Coastal Bantu Languages of Gabon. Languages. 2025; 10(6):144. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10060144
Chicago/Turabian StyleNiama Niama, Japhet. 2025. "The Evolution of Noun Prefixes in West-Coastal Bantu Languages of Gabon" Languages 10, no. 6: 144. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10060144
APA StyleNiama Niama, J. (2025). The Evolution of Noun Prefixes in West-Coastal Bantu Languages of Gabon. Languages, 10(6), 144. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10060144