Nyaka language

Nyaka (Nyaka: ñaka or yaka [ˈɲaka~ˈjaka]), also known as Yaka, or Jala-jala is a Nyamu-based pidgin language spoken internationally as a lingua franca throughout the eastern and central Nkungu area. The language contends with its originator Nyamu as one of the most widely spoken languages within the eastern Nkungu area. Speakers of the language tend to regard Nyaka as either a language seperate from Nyamu, a Nyamu dialect, or – especially among Kwukwu populations – Nyamu itself. The language is also viewed as a "poor man's language" within eastern Nkungu society, being spoken by mostly uneducated people, tradesmen, and merchants. Unlike Nyamu, Nyaka has no official recognition in any of the countries it is spoken in.

Nyaka
Ñaka, Yaka
Pronunciation	[ˈɲaka~ˈjaka]
Native to	eastern Nkungu, Khobeh, Afa
Language family	Juru Bossoid Nyamu Nyaka

Varieties

Nyaka has many varieties belonging to each of the many groups that speak it. These varieties often use words or syntax from, or pronunciation emulating, the local languages of the area it is spoken in. For example, Northern Nyaka and its subvarieties use words loaned from Hlong and Gara, while Southern Nyaka draws its loanwords from Nganka, Dzuma, or Afa Nyamu. The three main Nyaka varieties are Northern Nyaka (also known as Khobeh Nyaka), Southern Nyaka (also known as Afa Nyaka), and Kwukwu Nyaka. Each of these main varieties have several subvarieties differing among countries, ethnic groups, districts, and cities. Due to the diversity of Nyaka varieties, certain lects are not mutually intelligible with others.

Differences in Nyaka varieties

	English	Standard Nyamu	Northern Nyaka	Southern Nyaka
Text	[The] man does not want to go to Kashinkhor	Ña Kàṣiŋkhɔfa bali	Ña Kàṣiŋkɔ/Kàṣiklɔ ba sɔ̀ da	Ña Ṣikkɔ ba nsɔ̀ nzì / Ña Ṣikkɔ ba mù nzì
IPA		/ɲá kàɕíŋˈkʰɔ́fá ˈbálí/	/ɲá kàˈɕíŋkɔ́ - kàˈɕíklɔ́ bá sɔ̀ dá/	/ɲá~ɟʲá ɕíkːɔ́ bá ⁿsɔ̀ ⁿzì/ /ɲá~ɟʲá ɕíkːɔ́ bá mù ⁿzì/
Gloss		man Kashinkhor go-DES.NEG	man Kashinkhor go DES NEG(man Kashinkhor go want without)	man Kashinkhor go DES NEG(man Kashinkhor go want NEG* / man Kashinkhor go love NEG)
Text	Candada ate fish with his uncle	Candada ùda buwuwu kùla jūma	Candada bwɔkɔ kùla diza ùdu jū bata	Caddada bubu kù là gbà ùru akpà
IPA		/t͡ɕándádá ˈùdá búˈwúwú ˈkùlá ˈd͡ʑuː́má/	/t͡ɕándádá ˈbwɔ́kɔ́ kùlá dízá ˈùdú ˈ d͡ʑuː́ ˈbátá/	/t͡ʃádːádá ˈbúbú kù là g͡bà ˈùɾú ák͡pà/
Gloss		Candada fish-SG.ACC uncle-SG.INSTC 3S-GEN eat-PST	Candada uncle 3S-GEN together fish eat PST**	Candada uncle 3S PST*** take fish eat

*The Southern Nyaka negative nzì is from the Gaanin Dzuma negative particle nzì (from the standard Dzuma ndìì)

**The Northern Nyaka past tense particle bata is from the past tense form of the Nyamu verb ba ('to go')

***The Southern Nyaka past tense particle là is loaned from the Dzuma past tense particle là

Current status and society

Nyaka is one of the most widely spoken languages in eastern Nkungu, contending with Nyamu. While the Nyamu language became widespread due to the cultural influence of Khobeh within the eastern Nkungu sphere, Nyaka sprouted as a byproduct of interaction between the Nyamu and other ethnic groups. Although being a widespread language, the many groups and areas wherein Nyaka is spoken all have differing ways in which they use and view the language. Within predominantly Nyamu communities, Nyaka is hidden and often solely a spoken language used among intimate individuals, i.e family and friends. The use of Nyaka in situations calling for respect or formality is oftentimes considered disrespectful. Among non-Nyamu communities, however, Nyaka is openly used as a lingua franca regardless of situation and is often interspersed in speech with the local language(s) of the community. Nyaka has no written literature as it is rarely ever written.

Phonology

While Nyaka phonology is conventionally similar to that of Nyamu, Nyaka also varies in phonology depending on the variety spoken. The prevalence of certain phonemes may be influenced by the local languages of an area. For example, the Northern Nyaka /ɕ/ and /ʑ/ is often /ʃ/ and /ʒ/ in Southern Nyaka, or both sets may be pronounced in free variation in other varieties. Kwukwu Nyaka is particularly phonologically divergent from other Nyaka dialects especially since it does not feature tones, due to its speakers being native speakers of the atonal Kwukwu languages.

			Labial	Alveolar	Postalveolar	Alveolopalatal 6	Retroflex	Palatal	Velar		Glottal
									plain	labial
Nasal			m 1	n				ɲ 7	ŋ
Plosive	normal	voiceless	p	t					k	k͡p 13	ʔ 9
		aspirated 2	pʰ	tʰ					kʰ	k͡pʰ
		voiced	b	d 11					g	ɡ͡b 13
	prenasalized 3	voiceless	ᵐp	ⁿt					ᵑk
		voiced	ᵐb	ⁿd					ᵑg
Fricative	normal	voiceless	f 4	s	ʃ	ɕ			x 8
		voiced	v 4	z	ʒ	ʑ
	prenasalized 3	voiceless		ⁿs
		voiced		ⁿz
Affricate	normal	voiceless		ts 5	t͡ʃ	t͡ɕ
		voiced		dz 5	d͡ʒ	d͡ʑ
	prenasalized 3	voiceless			ⁿt͡ʃ	ⁿt͡ɕ
		voiced			ⁿd͡ʒ	ⁿd͡ʑ
Tap				ɾ 12			ɽ 9
Approximant			w					j

¹ /m/ is not present in Kwukwu Nyaka but rather realized as [w̃~w]

² Aspirated consonants tend to only be present among Nyamu speakers, whereas other varieties either do not aspirate or make any distinction between aspirated and unaspirated consonants.

³ Northern and Kwukwu varieties do not include prenasalized consonants

⁴ /f/ and /v/ are realized in Kwukwu Nyaka as [ʍ~ɸʷ~w] and [βʷ~w]

⁵ In northeastern dialects, /t͡s/ and /d͡z/ are realized as [s] and [z]

⁶ Alveolopalatal consonants tend to only be present among Nyamu and some Hlong speakers, whereas other varieties substitute them for either postalveolar or alveolar consonants

⁷ Realized as [j] in southern and central dialects

⁸ Not present in Kwukwu Nyaka

⁹ Exclusive to Kwukwu Nyaka

¹¹ Often realized as [ɾ] intervocally in southern and central dialects

¹² Influenced by Kafue Nyamu, also realized as [ɹ] in northern dialects

¹³ /k͡p/ and /ɡ͡b/ realized as [p] and [b] in central dialects

	Front	Back
Closed	i	u
Closed-mid	e	o
Open-mid	ɛ 1	ɔ
Open	a

¹ Realized in Kwukwu Nyaka as [æ~a]