Iu Mienh
Iu Mien
Niger-Congo (Atlantic-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid)
Ikulu (Iku-Gora-Ankwa, Bakulu) is a Plateau language of central Nigeria and adjacent Cameroon, with ~5K speakers, sometimes classified within the broader Benue-Congo Bantoid grouping. Closely related to Ninzo, Mada, and Eggon Plateau languages. The Ikulu people are mostly bilingual in Hausa as the regional lingua franca and in English as the school language. Like other Nigerian Plateau languages, Ikulu has a noun-class system simplified compared to canonical Bantu, complex tonal phonology with at least three tones, and ATR vowel harmony. Limited published documentation; no significant literary tradition. Mostly oral transmission within Ikulu villages.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Iu Mien
Water
wuom
/wuom˧/
Fire
douz
/dou˨˧/
Sun
hnoi
/hnoi˧/
Moon
hlaax
/hlaː˨˧/
Mother
maa
/maː˧/
Father
diex
/die˨˧/
Eat
nyanc
/ɲan˨˩/
Drink
hopv
/hop˦/
Love
hnamv
/hnam˦/
Heart
mba'y-fim
/mbai˧fim˧/
Tree
ndiangx
/ndiaŋ˨˧/
House
biauv
/biau˦/
Dog
juv
/d͡ʒu˦/
Cat
mbao
/mbao˧/
Hand
buoz
/buo˨˧/
Eye
m'zing
/m̩ziŋ˧/
Hello
yiem-longx
/jiem˧loŋ˨˧/
Thank you
laengz
/laŋ˨˧/
One
yietc
/jiet˨˩/
Good
longx
/loŋ˨˧/
Sources
- Ethnologue: iuu
- Blench (2009) Plateau Languages Survey
- Glottolog: ikul1245
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo (Atlantic-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid) languages
| Meaning | Iu Mien | Chengdu Mandarin | Azhe | Kunming Mandarin | Lanyin Mandarin | Pwo Karen | Kaifeng Mandarin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | wuom /wuom˧/ | 水 /suei˥˧/ | ʑɿ /ʑɿ˧˧/ | 水 /suei˥˧/ | 水 /sui˥˧/ | ထံ /tʰi˧/ | 水 /ʂuei˥˧/ |
| Fire | douz /dou˨˧/ | 火 /xo˥˧/ | mi /mi˧˧/ | 火 /xo˥˧/ | 火 /xo˥˧/ | မ့ၣ် /me˨˩/ | 火 /xuo˥˧/ |
| Sun | hnoi /hnoi˧/ | 太阳 /tʰai˨˩˧iaŋ˨˩/ | ŋni /ŋnʲi˧˧/ | 太阳 /tʰæ˨˩˨iaŋ˧˩/ | 日头 /ʐɨ˨˦tʰəu˨˦/ | မုန် /mu˧/ | 日头 /ʐəɻ˧˩˨tʰou˦˨/ |
| Moon | hlaax /hlaː˨˧/ | 月亮 /ye˨˩lia̠ŋ˨˩˧/ | ɬɛ /ɬɛ˧˧/ | 月亮 /ye˧˩liaŋ˨˩˨/ | 月亮 /yɛ˦˦ljaŋ/ | လး /la˧/ | 月亮 /yɛ˦˨liaŋ˧˩˨/ |
| Mother | maa /maː˧/ | 妈妈 /ma˥ma/ | amo /amo˧˧/ | 妈 /ma˦˦/ | 妈 /ma˧˧/ | မိ /mu˧˥/ | 妈 /ma˨˦/ |
| Father | diex /die˨˧/ | 爸爸 /pa˨˩˧pa/ | ada /ada˧˧/ | 爹 /tie˦˦/ | 爸 /pa˥˧/ | ဖါ /pa˧/ | 爹 /tiɛ˨˦/ |
| Eat | nyanc /ɲan˨˩/ | 吃 /tsʰɿ˨˩/ | dza /dza˧˧/ | 吃 /tsʰʅ˦˦/ | 吃 /tʂʰɨ˧˧/ | အၢင် /ai˧˩/ | 吃 /tʂʰʅ˨˦/ |
| Drink | hopv /hop˦/ | 喝 /xo˨˩/ | du /du˧˧/ | 喝 /xo˦˦/ | 喝 /xɛ˧˧/ | အူ /ɔ˧/ | 喝 /xɤ˨˦/ |
| Love | hnamv /hnam˦/ | 爱 /ŋai˨˩˧/ | ŋa /ŋa˧˧/ | 爱 /æ˨˩˨/ | 爱 /ɛ˨˦/ | အဲင် /ai˧kʰe˧/ | 爱 /ai˧˩˨/ |
| Heart | mba'y-fim /mbai˧fim˧/ | 心 /ɕin˥/ | si /si˧˧/ | 心 /ɕin˦˦/ | 心 /ɕin˧˩/ | သး /tʰa˧/ | 心 /ɕin˨˦/ |
| Tree | ndiangx /ndiaŋ˨˧/ | 树 /su˨˩˧/ | sɿ /sɿ˧˧/ | 树 /su˨˩˨/ | 树 /sɨ˨˦/ | သုၣ် /tʰoŋ˧/ | 树 /ʂu˧˩˨/ |
| House | biauv /biau˦/ | 屋头 /u˨˩tʰəu˨˩/ | ɣɯ /ɣɯ˧˧/ | 房子 /faŋ˧˩tsɿ/ | 房子 /faŋ˨˦tsɨ/ | ဟံၣ် /hi˧/ | 屋 /u˨˦/ |
| Dog | juv /d͡ʒu˦/ | 狗 /kəu˥˧/ | kʰɯ /kʰɯ˧˧/ | 狗 /kəu˥˧/ | 狗 /kəu˥˧/ | ထွဲ /tʰwi˧/ | 狗 /kou˥˧/ |
| Cat | mbao /mbao˧/ | 猫 /mau˥/ | vi /vi˧˧/ | 猫 /mau˧˩/ | 猫 /mau˧˧/ | ဖၣ် /pə˧/ | 猫 /mau˨˦/ |
| Hand | buoz /buo˨˧/ | 手 /sou˥˧/ | la /la˧˧/ | 手 /sɤu˥˧/ | 手 /sou˥˧/ | စူ /sɔ˨/ | 手 /ʂou˥˧/ |
| Eye | m'zing /m̩ziŋ˧/ | 眼睛 /ŋan˥˧tɕin˥/ | ȵi /ȵi˧˧/ | 眼睛 /ŋæ˥˧tɕin˦˦/ | 眼睛 /jɛn˥˧tɕin/ | မဲာ် /mɛ˧/ | 眼 /iɛn˥˧/ |
| Hello | yiem-longx /jiem˧loŋ˨˧/ | 你好 /ni˥˧xau˥˧/ | mosu /mosu˧˧/ | 你好 /ni˥˧xau˥˧/ | 你好 /ni˥˧xau˥˧/ | နာမှၤ /na˧ʃi˧/ | 你好 /ni˥˧xau˥˧/ |
| Thank you | laengz /laŋ˨˧/ | 谢谢 /ɕie˨˩˧ɕie/ | katɕʰɿ /katɕʰɿ˧˧/ | 谢谢 /ɕie˨˩˨ɕie/ | 谢谢 /ɕjɛ˨˦ɕjɛ/ | တၢ်ဘျုး /ta˧blu˧/ | 谢谢 /ɕiɛ˧˩˨ɕiɛ/ |
| One | yietc /jiet˨˩/ | 一 /i˨˩/ | tsʰɿ /tsʰɿ˧˧/ | 一 /i˧˩/ | 一 /ji˧˧/ | တ /ta˧˩/ | 一 /i˨˦/ |
| Good | longx /loŋ˨˧/ | 好 /xau˥˧/ | mu /mu˧˧/ | 好 /xau˥˧/ | 好 /xau˥˧/ | ဂ့ၤ /ɣai˧/ | 好 /xau˥˧/ |
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