Myene language explained
| Myene |
| Nativename: | Omyene |
| States: | Gabon |
| Region: | Ogooue-Maritime Province, Middle Ogooue Province |
| Ethnicity: | Myene (Mpongwe, Adyumba, Nkomi, Galwa), Bongo |
| Speakers: | 45,000 |
| Date: | 2007 |
| Ref: | e18 |
| Familycolor: | Niger-Congo |
| Fam2: | Atlantic–Congo |
| Fam3: | Benue–Congo |
| Fam4: | Bantoid |
| Fam5: | Bantu (Zone B) |
| Fam6: | Kele–Tsogo? |
| Fam7: | Tsogo? |
| Dia1: | Mpongwe |
| Dia2: | Orungu |
| Dia3: | Galwa |
| Dia4: | Nkomi |
| Iso3: | mye |
| Glotto: | myen1241 |
| Glottorefname: | Myene |
| Guthrie: | B.11 |
Myene is a cluster of closely related Bantu varieties spoken in Gabon by about 46,000 people. It is perhaps the most divergent of the Narrow Bantu languages,[1] though Nurse & Philippson (2003) place it in with the Tsogo languages (B.30). The more distinctive varieties are Mpongwe (Pongoué), Galwa (Galloa), and Nkomi.
Phonology
!Bilabial!Labio-
dental!Alveolar!Palatal!Velar| Nasal | m | | n | ɲ | ŋ |
|---|
Stop/
Affricate | voiceless | p | | t | tʃ | k |
|---|
| voiced | b | | d | dʒ | ɡ |
|---|
| prenasal vl. | ᵐp | | ⁿt | ᶮtʃ | ᵑk |
|---|
| prenasal vd. | ᵐb | | ⁿd | ᶮdʒ | ᵑg |
|---|
| Fricative | voiceless | | f | s | ʃ | |
|---|
| voiced | β | v | z | | (ɣ) |
|---|
| Approximant | | | l | j | w |
|---|
| Trill | | | r | | | |
|---|
- /ɡ/ is also heard as [ɣ] in free variation when preceding vowels or semivowels depending on articulation.
- Voiced sounds /b, d, dʒ/ may also be heard as implosives [ɓ, ɗ, ɗ̠ʲ] in free variation across dialects.
- In the Adyumba dialect /dʒ/ may also be heard as [dz] in free variation.
- Sounds /ᶮtʃ, ᶮdʒ/ may also be heard as prenasal alveolar affricates [ⁿts, ⁿdz] across dialects.
- /w/ may be heard as more palatal [ɥ] when before front vowel sounds.
- A nasalized labio-velar sound /w̃/ may also be attested in the Mpongwe dialect.
Vowels!!Front!Back| Close | i | u |
|---|
| Close-mid | e | o |
|---|
| Open-mid | ɛ | ɔ |
|---|
| Open | a | |
|---|
Dictionary
Jean-Rémy Bessieux published a Pongwe dictionary in 1847.[2] [3]
Bibliography
- Ambouroue, Odette (2007). Éléments de description de l'Orungu: Langue bantu du Gabon (B11b). Brussels: Université Libre de Bruxelles dissertation.
- Eyang Effa, Edwige (2002). Phonologie du myen'orungu, langue bantoue du Gabon B11b. Libreville: Université Omar Bongo.
- Jacquot, A. (1976) Etude de la phonologie et de la morphologie myene, in Etudes Bantoues II, Bulletin SELAF 53, Paris, 13–79.
- Patrick Mouguiama Daouda (1988). Éléments de description du mpongwe : Phonologie, morphologie du système nominal et pronominal (mémoire de maîtrise). Université Omar Bongo. 154 p
- Philippson, G. & G. Puech (1996) 'Tonal domains in Galwa (Bantu, B11c)' The Bantu languages
- Soumaho Ditoubilianou, Prisca Armelle (2001). Esquisse d'une phonologie fonctionnelle du Galwa. Libreville: Université Omar Bongo.
- Teisseres, Urbain (1957). Méthode pratique pour apprendre l'omyènè. 2nd edn. Paris: Société des Missions Evangéliques
External links
- le myènè en ligne sur : 'awanawintche.com', le myene en ligne : proverbes, contes, cours en audio mp3, histoires, rites et légendes o'myènè.
Notes and References
- http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/history/ehret/kinship/BantuClassification%204-09.pdf Bantu Classification
- Web site: Bessieux, Jean-Rémi (version B). . Dictionary of African Christian Biography . November 20, 2025 .
- Web site: Jean-Remi Bessieux (1803-1876) and the Founding of the Catholic Church in Gabon . Nicolas . François . 1 October 2022. Duquesne University, Duquesne Scholarship Collection . Spiritan Horizons, Volume 19, Issue 19 . December 16, 2025 .
