Mbelime language

Mbelime, or Niende, is an Eastern Oti-Volta Gur language of northwestern Benin. Mbelime is spoken by approximately 131,000 people.^[2][3] There is a Mbelime dictionary.^[4]

Mbelime
Native to	Benin
Native speakers	40,000 (2006)[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Gur Northern Oti–Volta Eastern (Somba) Mbelime
Official status
Recognised minority language in	Benin
Language codes
ISO 639-3	mql
Glottolog	mbel1240

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants^[5]

		Labial	Apical	Palatal	Velar	Labial- velar	Glottal
Plosive	voiceless	p	t	c	k	k͡p
	voiced	b	ɖ
Nasal		m	n
Fricative		f	s
Approximant		w		j

• /ɖ/ can be realized as [ɖ], [ɭ], or [ɽ] between vowels.^[6]
• /k͡p/ tends to be realized as [kw].^[6]
• /m/ and /n/ assimilate to following consonants, e.g., [ɳ] before [ɖ] and [ŋ] before [k].^[7]

Vowels

Mbelime has 7 oral vowels and 5 nasal vowels.^[7]

Oral vowels^[7]

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

Nasal vowels^[7]

	Front	Central	Back
Close	ĩ		ũ
Open-mid	ɛ̃		ɔ̃
Open		ã