Baka language (South Sudan)

Not to be confused with Baka language.

Baka (Tara Baka) is a Central Sudanic language of South Sudan, with the majority living in an area centered on Maridi, South Sudan, but also a couple thousand speakers in the DRC. It has consonants with trilled release such as /dr/ and /ɡ͡bʙ/.

Baka
Native to	South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Native speakers	60,000 (2017)[1]
Language family	Nilo-Saharan? Central Sudanic Bongo–Bagirmi Bongo–Baka Baka
Language codes
ISO 639-3	bdh
Glottolog	baka1274

A 2013 survey reported that the Baka were the largest ethnic group in Maridi County, South Sudan. They also live in Baka Boma, Tore Payam, Yei County, South Sudan.^[2]

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Alveopalatal	Velar	Labiovelar
Stop	voiceless	p	t	c	k	kp
	voiced	b	d		g	gb
	prenasalized	mb	nd		ŋg	ŋmgb
	implosive	ɓ	ɗ	'y
Nasal		m	n	ɲ	ŋ
Trill	voiceless			tr		kʙ̥
	voiced	ʙ		dr		gʙ
	prenasalized			ndr		ŋmgʙ
Fricative	voiceless	f	s
	voiced	v	z
	prenasalized	nv	nz
Flap		ⱱ̟	r	ř
Lateral			l
Semivowel		w		y

Vowels

(-ATR)

	Front	Central	Back
High	ʟ		ʊ
Low	ɞ	a	ɔ

Neutral vowel: ɨ

(+ATR)

	Front	Central	Back
High	i		u
Low	e	ə	o

^[3]