Limba language


The Limba language, Hulimba, is a Niger–Congo language of Sierra Leone and Guinea. It is not closely related to other languages and appears to form its own branch of the Atlantic–Congo family. Dialects include Tonko, Sela, Kamuke, Wara-wara, Keleng, Biriwa, and Safroko. The eastern variety, spoken primarily in Guinea, is quite distinct. Limba has a system of noun classes, marked by an old, eroded set of prefixes augmented by a newer set of enclitics.

Distribution

Ethnologue lists the following two varieties of Limba, spoken in Guinea and Sierra Leone.
East Limba is spoken in Ouré-Kaba, Guinea.
West-Central Limba is spoken in northern Sierra Leone. It is spoken in the Little Scarcies River area in east Bombali District and northeast Kambia District, as well as north of Makeni.

Phonology

Like neighboring Temne, Limba has an unusual contrast among its consonants. It distinguishes dental and alveolar, but the dental consonants are apical and the alveolar consonants are laminal, the opposite of the general pattern.

Consonants

  • Sounds /f/ and /ɡ/ are heard across dialects.

Grammar

Noun classes

Noun classes are distinguished by the form of the definite article which follows the noun, and sometimes also by a prefix. Roughly, the following classes can be deduced from the examples given by Mary Lane Clarke:
A. Person class
  • Examples:Wukọnọ wo - a Kono person;sapiri wo - crowbar;kaň wo - the sun
Definite article : wo; pronoun : wunde, wun
B. People class
  • Examples:Bikọnọ be - Kono people;sapiriň be - crowbars; bia be - people, ancestors
Definite article: be; pronoun: bende, ben
C. Language class
Definite article: ha; pronoun: -?-
D. Country class
  • Examples:Kakọnọ ka - Konoland
Definite article: ka
E. Bodkins class
  • Examples:
  • ' - bodkins;' - toe
Definite article: ta
F. Cascade class
  • Examples:kutintọ ko - cascade;kekeň ko - country;kutiň ko - dog
Definite article: ko
G. Dogs class, plurals of F.
  • Examples:ňatintọ ňa - cascades;ňakeň ňa - countriesňatiň ňa - dogs
Definite article: ňa
H. Arrival class
  • Examples:matebeň ma - calm ;matalaň ma - arrival;masandiň ma - needle
Definite article: ma
I. Needles class, plurals of H.
  • Examples:masandi ma - needles;matubucuciň ma - signs;mendeň ma - days, sleeps
Definite article: ma
J. Yam class
  • Examples:ndamba ki - yam;nbēn ki - bracelet;nkala ki - vine
Definite article: ki
K. Bracelets class, plurals of J.
  • Examples:ndambeň ki - yams;nbēni ki - bracelets;nbuliň ki - windpipes
Definite article: ki
L. Meat class
  • Examples:piňkari ba - gun, musket;bọňa ba - path, way;bara ba - meat, flesh
Definite article: ba
M. Boxes class, plurals of L.
  • Examples:piňkariň ba - guns, muskets;bọňeň ba - paths, ways;kankaren ba - boxes, trunks
Definite article: ba
N. Yarn class
  • Examples:
  • ' - woof, yarn;' - suffering;
  • ' - fan
Definite article: mu
O. Waves class
  • Examples:muňkuliň mu - waves;mudọňiň mu - habitations
Definite article: mu
P. Kusini-fruits class
  • Examples:busini bu - fruits of the kusini tree
Definite article: bu
Q. A class with definite article wu
  • Examples: - ? -
Other nouns, including nouns of quantity, etc., take no article. It may be that they are classless:
  • Examples:Alukorana - the Qur'an ;disa - fringe, shawl;duba - ink ;kameci - late, brown rice