Minyanka language
# Minyanka language

Minyanka (also known as Mamara, Miniyanka, Minya, Mianka, Minianka, or Tupiire) is a northern Senufo language spoken by about 750,000 people in southeastern Mali. It is closely related to Supyire. Minyanka is one of the national languages of Mali.

## Phonology

### Consonants

| | | Labial | Labial | Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Velar | Labio- velar | Pharyn- geal | Glottal |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | plain | lab. | pal. | Alveolar | Palatal | plain | pal. | Labio- velar | Pharyn- geal | Glottal |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | mʷ | mʲ | n | ɲ | ŋ | | ŋ͡m | | |
| Plosive | voiceless | p | pʷ | pʲ | t | c | k | kʲ | k͡p | | ʔ |
| Plosive | voiced | b | bʷ | | d | ɟ | ɡ | ɡʲ | ɡ͡b | | |
| Plosive | prenasal | ᵐb | | | ⁿd | ᶮɟ | ᵑɡ | | | | |
| Fricative | voiceless | f | fʷ | fʲ | s | ʃ | | | | | (h) |
| Fricative | voiced | v | | | z | ʒ | | | | (ʕ) | (ɦ) |
| Rhotic | Rhotic | | | | r | | | | | | |
| Approximant | Approximant | | | | l | j | w | wʲ | | | |

* A pharyngeal fricative [ʕ] is also typically heard when in between vowels, or as an allophone of /ɡ/ when in intervocalic position.
* Glottal sounds [h, ɦ] are only heard in the Bla dialect, instead of labio-velar sounds /k͡p, ɡ͡b, ŋ͡m/.
* Sounds /k, ɡ/ can also be heard as fricatives [x, ɣ] when in intervocalic positions.

### Vowels

| | Front | Central | Back |
| - | - | - | - |
| Close | i ĩ | | u ũ |
| Close-mid | e | ə | o |
| Open-mid | ɛ ɛ̃ | ə | ɔ ɔ̃ |
| Open | | a ã | |

* /u/ can also be heard as [y] when in the position of /j/.
* /o/ can also be heard as [œ] when before a glottal /ʔ/.
