Mantsi
Native toNigeria
RegionBauchi State
Native speakers
(100 cited 1995)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3zns
Glottologmang1416
ELPMangas
Mantsi
Peoplemántsì
Languagepʲìk mántsì

Mantsi (also known as Ma’as or Mangas) is an endangered Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Mangas town in Bauchi State, Nigeria.[1] Blench (2020) reports that it is also called Mantsi. According to Blench, the structure of Mantsi differs significantly from the other South Bauchi languages.[2]

Word lists of Mantsi had previously been published in Kiyoshi Shimizu's (1978) South Bauchi survey, which first mentioned the existence of the language.[3] An unpublished word list was also recorded by Ronald Cosper (n.d.).[4]

Names

Mantsi speakers refer to their language as Pyik Mantsi [pʲìk mántsì], and to themselves as the Mantsi [mántsì] people. Although there are fewer than 1,000 speakers, the language is still being spoken by children.[2]

Demographics

Mantsi is spoken in the single village of Mantsi (locally known as Maɗana [mánànā] or Ma’as [màʔās]) in the southern part of Bauchi LGA, Bauchi State. The Kir [Kyiir] and Laar peoples, who speak closely related but distinct languages, live just to the northeast of Mantsi village in the nearby villages of Kir and Laar, respectively.[2]

Classification

Mantsi belongs to the Kir branch of the South Bauchi languages. It is most closely related to Kir and Laar, as shown by the lexical comparisons below.[2]

GlossMantsiKirLaar
ashmúrə̀mŋúreŋŋŋoro
birdɗōōrdotɗwoot
bloodpúrùmpirə̀ŋfiràŋ
bonegùlgwàŋàlgwaŋal
fatgìndɨ́ryində̀ryində̀r
legwāsɨ̄mwasəmwasəm
moonpʲāŋpyaŋpyaŋ
mountainlambalambalamba
stonepʲārpyatpyat
killtúktuktuk

Mantsi also has some lexical innovations, which are:

GlossMantsi
fishkʲáálòŋ
nightdāːhùr
pathda᷄n
ninekrōmsā

Phonology

Mantsi has 3 level tones, as well as, rising and falling contour tones.[2]

Grammar

Number is not marked morphologically.[2]

Lexicon

Plants and animals

Some Mantsi names of plants and animals:[2]

Mantsi nameMantsi name in IPAEnglish nameScientific name
alade naweàládè náwèbush pig
angguluàŋgùlúvultureNecrosyrtes monachus
ashaáʃàacha; fonioDigitaria exilis
baanpɨribàːnpɨŕ ìpatas monkeyErythrocebus patas
bagərəmbàgə̀rə̀mspitting cobraNaja nigricollis
banggirabàŋgìràmonitor lizard
banyangwebàɲāŋwéjackalCanis adustus
bapakɨrbàpākɨŕleopardPanthera pardus
barasabàràsārisgaPlectranthus esculentus
bushabúʃáhedgehogAtelerix albiventris
bəbaamkambə̀bàːmkāmagama lizard
ɓalɓālbean; cowpeaVigna unguiculata
ɓalyaghoɓàljáɣòchameleon
ɓarɓārpumpkinCucurbita pepo
ɓarwakɓàrʷākrock pythonPython sebae
ɓaunaɓáwnábuffaloSyncerus caffer
ɓiikhiɓíːxìsilk-cotton tree sp.
ɓindɨrɓīndɨr̄scorpion
ɓokoɓókòbaobabAdansonia digitata
ɓonggutərɓòŋgútə̄rgrasscutter; cane ratThryonomys swinderianus
dabradàbràshea treeVitellaria paradoxa
ɗeesiɗéːsìtamarindTamarindus indica
gargàrblack monkeyCercopithecus tantalus
giginyagígíɲàfan palmBorassus aethiopum
gilergílērweaver birdPloceus cucullatus
gopranggòpràŋokraAbelmoschus esculentus
gwomligʷòmlìpouched rat, giant ratCricetomys gambianus
gyerwulgʲérwúlspiral cowpeaVigna unguiculata
hangkakahànkákàpied crowCorvus albus
homho᷄mbaboonPapio anubis
hurhùrporcupineHystrix cristata
iski wandɨrískì wàndɨr̀Angolan green snakePhilothamnus angolensis
kambongkāmbôŋcocoyamColocasia esculenta
koonkōːnbush fowl; francolinFrancolinus
kursikūrsīsorrel; roselleHibiscus esculentus
kwongsikʷóŋsìgarden eggSolanum incanum
kyapkʲâpbeniseed; sesameSesamum indicum
kyoorkʲóːrcrocodileCrocodylus suchus
lalolálòJews' mallowCorchorus olitorius
lɨnglɨŋ̂elephantElephas maximus
maiwamàjwāmillet sp.
mam bakinmám bàkìnaerial yamDioscorea bulbifera
mam nawemám nàwèbush yamDioscorea sp.
minmīnlocust beanParkia biglobosa
ndyaarndʲáārhouse batScotophilus sp.
nnyanɲɲânblack plumVitex doniana
ramarámàkenafHibiscus cannabinus
rimirímísilk-cotton treeCeiba pentandra
rwaknisisan barinarʷàknísīsān bàrīnāroyal pythonPython regius
shamʃàmguinea fowlNumida meleagris
shinʃìndassie, rock rabbit, rock hyraxProcavia capensis
shuwakaʃùwākābitterleafVernonia amygdalina
tlariɬàrìground squirrelXerus erythropus
tlari kɨɓaryamɬàrì kɨɓ́ àrja᷄mSenegal galagoGalago senegalensis
twangtʷáŋtigernutCyperus esculentus
wangwāŋBambara nutVigna subterranea

Numerals

Mantsi numerals:[2]

GlossMantsi
onenə̄m
twoɗīːn
threewéːn
fourúpsí
fivetūːn
sixmàɣà
sevenɲíngí
eightgàːmfí
ninekrōmsā
tenzúp
elevensūlūŋ nə᷄m

Notes

  1. 1 2 Mantsi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Blench, Roger. 2020. An introduction to Mantsi, a South Bauchi language of Central Nigeria.
  3. Shimizu, Kiyoshi 1978. The Southern Bauchi Group of Chadic Languages: A survey report. Coll. Africana Marburgensia, n° 2 (Special Issue).
  4. Cosper, Ronald n.d. Wordlist of South Bauchi (West Chadic) languages ; Boghom, Mangas, Buli, Dott, Geji, Jimi, Polci, Sayanci, Zul. ms.
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