Sukur language

Sukur
Sakwun
Native toNigeria
RegionAdamawa State
Native speakers
(15,000 cited 1992)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3syk
Glottologsuku1272
ELPSukur

Sukur (Adikimmu Sukur, Gemasakun, Sakul, Sugur, Sakun) is a Biu–Mandara language of Madgali LGA, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Phonology

Consonants[2]
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
plain lateral
Plosive p b t d k g, kʷ ʔ
Affricate ts dz tʃ dʒ
Prenasalized ᵐb ⁿd, ⁿz ⁿdʒ ᵑg
Implosive ɓ ɗ
Fricative f v s z ɬ ɮ ʃ ʒ x ɣ
Nasal m n ŋ
Approximant (ⱱ) r l j w
  • /ⱱ/ is only found intervocalically in ideophones.
  • /ɬ/ is often pronounced [x] word-initially.
  • /tʃ dʒ/ are often lenited to [ʃ ʒ] in fast speech.
  • /k/ can vary to [x~kʷ~w~g].
Vowels[2]
Front Central Back
High i u
Mid (ə)
Low a
  • /a/ can be raised to either [e] or [o].
  • /ə/ is epenthetic. It is heard as [ə̥] if following an unvoiced consonant and if it does not bear any tone, and can also unpredictably be realized as [u̥] in fast speech.

Sukur also has two tones;[2] high and low.

References

  1. ^ Sukur at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b c Thomas, Michael F. (2014). A Grammar of Sakun (Sukur) (PhD thesis). University of Colorado.


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