West Banda language
# West Banda language

West Banda is a minor Banda language, spoken by 10,000 or so people.

## Dialects

Dialects are Dakpa, Gbaga-Nord (Gbaga-2), Gbi, Vita, and Wojo (Hodjo), as reported by Ethnologue and Moñino (1988).

Dákpá speakers live in some villages near the Sara people of Nyango; clans are Yangbà and Dèkò.

## Phonology

### Consonants

| | | Bilabial | Labio- dental | Dental | Alveolar | Post- alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Labial- velar | Glottal |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Plosive | voiceless | p | | t | | | c | k | kp | ʔ |
| Plosive | voiced | | | | | | ɟ | ɡ | ɡb | |
| Plosive | prenasalized | mb | | nd | | | ɲɟ | ŋɡ | ŋmɡb | |
| Fricative | voiceless | | f | | s | ʃ | | | | h |
| Fricative | voiced | | v | | z | ʒ | | | | |
| Fricative | prenasalized | | ɱv | | nz | | | | | |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | | n | | | ɲ | | ŋm | |
| Tap/Flap | Tap/Flap | | ⱱ | ɾ | | | | | | |
| Lateral | Lateral | | | | l | | | | | |
| Approximant | Approximant | | | | | | j | | w | |

### Vowels

| | Front | Mid | Back |
| - | - | - | - |
| Close | i | ɨ | u |
| Close-mid | e | | o |
| Mid | | ə | |
| Open-mid | | | ɔ |
| Open | | a | |

Vowel tones in West Banda are rising /ǎ/, falling /â/, mid /ā/, low /à/, and high /á/.

