Mongo language
# Mongo language

Mongo, also called Nkundo or Mongo-Nkundu (Lomongo, Lonkundu), is a Bantu language spoken by several of the Mongo peoples in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mongo speakers reside in the north-west of the country over a large area inside the curve of the Congo River. Mongo is a tonal language.

There are several dialects. Maho (2009) lists one of these, Bafoto (Batswa de l'Equateur), C.611, as a separate language. The others are:

* Kutu (Bakutu), including Longombe
* Bokote, including Ngata
* Booli
* Bosaka
* Konda (Ekonda), including Bosanga-Ekonda
* Ekota
* Emoma
* Ikongo, including Lokalo-Lomela
* Iyembe
* Lionje, Nsongo, Ntomba
* Yamongo
* Mbole, including Nkengo, Yenge, Yongo, Bosanga-Mbole, Mangilongo, Lwankamba
* Nkole
* South Mongo, including Bolongo, Belo, Panga, Acitu
* Yailima
* Ngombe-Lomela, Longombe, Ngome à Múná

## Phonology

### Consonants

| | | Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |
| Plosive | plain | p  b | t  d | | k  ɡ | |
| Plosive | prenasal | ᵐp ᵐb | ⁿt  ⁿd | | ᵑk ᵑɡ | |
| Affricate | plain | | t͡s  d͡z | | | |
| Affricate | prenasal | | ⁿt͡s ⁿd͡z | | | |
| Fricative | plain | f | s | | | h |
| Fricative | prenasal | | ⁿs | | | |
| Lateral | Lateral | | l | | | |
| Approximant | Approximant | w | | j | | |

* /d͡z/ can be heard as alveolar or dental [d̪͡z̪] and /t͡s/ can be alveolar or postalveolar [t͡ʃ], when before front vowels.

### Vowels

| | Front | Central | Back |
| - | - | - | - |
| Close | i | | u |
| Close-mid | e | | o |
| Open-mid | ɛ | | ɔ |
| Open | | a | |
