The /j/ sound in Nkwen Language

The /j/ sound is a voiced sound in Nkwen Language which is found mostly at the medial positions in some words. Below are examples of such words and a text on the /j/ sound.

J   j 

ә̀jyә  →  a feast

ǹjì  → hungar/a name (m)

Ǹjìngàŋә  → a name (f)

àjì  →  an omen

ǹjya  →  soup

mәǹjyә̌ →groundnuts

ǹjyә̌    →  a fine

àjìjìˀì   →  a germ that enters the soles of the feet.

Mә̀toŋtәnә̀

    Nә̀wo tiˀi әjyә ngùˀu mә̀karә wǐ. Boŋә ǹjì kakә ŋu adiˀi nәwo bu zaŋә mbәˀәma bә nә ŋgha mәjyә wu àmbwo ŋù ntsә̀mә̀. Bә̀ bâtsә ghasә әdiˀi a diˀi nәwo susu. Bwo jyә mәjyә bwo bǔ nkwεrә mâtsә nniŋә әbàa bwo, ŋkә ku mәlaˀa mә nәwo tsεˀὲ mә̀tsә̀mә̀.

Free Translation

Funerals are feast nowadays. You can’t go hungry at a funeral because food is shared to everyone. Some people are a nuisance at funerals. After eating they would want to take some of the food home and thus they move from house to house at the funeral.