• Source: 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 Niger–Congo family. Dialects include Tonko, Sela, Kamuke (or Ke), 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.




Grammar






= Noun classes

=
Noun classes are distinguished by the form of the definite article (class particle) 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 (follows the noun): wo; pronoun ("he, she, it" as subject): 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

Examples:
Hukọnọ ha - the Kono language;
hutori ha - toe
Definite article: ha; pronoun: -?- (presumably this is neuter according to class, and so on through the neuter classes)
D. Country class

Examples:
Kakọnọ ka - Konoland
Definite article: ka
E. Bodkins class

Examples:
tatọli ta - bodkins;
tatori ta - 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 - countries
ňatiň ňa - dogs
Definite article: ňa
H. Arrival class

Examples:
matebeň ma - calm (noun);
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 (the b is a "smothered b") - bracelet;
nkala ki - vine
Definite article: ki
K. Bracelets class, plurals of J.

Examples:
ndambeň ki - yams;
nbēni ki ("smothered b" as above) - bracelets;
nbuliň ki (also with "smothered b") - windpipes
Definite article: ki
L. Meat class

Examples:
piňkari ba - gun, musket;
bọňa ba (bọňa has "smothered b", as above) - path, way;
bara ba - meat, flesh
Definite article: ba
M. Boxes class, plurals of L.

Examples:
piňkariň ba - guns, muskets;
bọňeň ba (bọňeň also has "smothered b") - paths, ways;
kankaren ba - boxes, trunks
Definite article: ba
N. Yarn class

Examples:
mulufu mu - woof, yarn;
muceňi mu - suffering;
mufukeki mu - 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 (Arabic);
disa - fringe, shawl;
duba - ink (from Mandingo);
kameci - late, brown rice




References






Further reading


Clarke, Mary Lane. 1922 [1971]. A Limba-English Dictionary or Tampeṅ Ta Ka Taluṅ Ta Ka Hulimba Ha In Huiṅkilisi Ha. Westmead, Farnborough: Gregg International Publishers Limited. (1971 reprint of 1922 book published by Houghton.)
Guillaume Segerer & Florian Lionnet 2010. "'Isolates' in 'Atlantic'". Language Isolates in Africa workshop, Lyon, Dec. 4

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