Ayizo language

Ayizo
Kotafon
Gbesi
Native toBenin
Native speakers
400,000 (2002–2006)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
ayb – Ayizo
kqk – Kotafon
gbs – Gbesi
Glottologayiz1245  Ayizo
kota1272  Kotafon
gbes1238  Gbesi

The Ayizo languages (Ayizɔ) are Gbe languages spoken in Benin. They are Ayizo, Kotafon, and Gbesi.

Distribution

The Ayizo languages are spoken in Benin across and near the Mono River, in the Departments of Atlantique, Kouffo, Mono, Oueme, and parts of the Zou Department.

Classification

The Ayizo languages are classified in the Phla–Phera languages, a group of the Gbe languages. The Ayizo languages are:

The Saxwe language was previously classified as an Ayizo language.

Additionally, the Ayizo languages can also be known as the Ayizo–Kotafon–Gbesi languages to distinguish it with the Ayizo language proper.

Orthography

The Ayizo alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet, with the addition of the letters Ɖ/ɖ, Ɛ/ɛ, and Ɔ/ɔ, and the digraphs gb, hw, kp, ny, and xw.

Ayizo alphabet
a b c d ɖ e ɛ f g gb h hw i j k kp l m n ny o ɔ p r s t u v w x xw y z
Sound (IPA) a b t͡ɕ d ɖ e ɛ f ɡ ɡb ɣ ɣʷ i d͡ʑ k kp l m n ɲ o ɔ p r s t u v w x xʷ j z

Tone marking

Tones are marked as follows:

  • Acute accent marks the rising tone: xó, dó
  • Grave accent marks the falling tone: ɖò, akpàkpà
  • Caron marks falling and rising tone: bǔ, bǐ
  • Circumflex accent marks the rising and falling tone: côfù
  • Macron marks the neutral tone: kān

Tones are fully marked in reference books, but not always marked in other writing. The tone marking is phonemic, and the actual pronunciation may be different according to the syllable's environment.

References

  1. ^ Ayizo at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Kotafon at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Gbesi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)


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