Jibu language

Phonology

In Jibu, there are 18 consonant phonemes, 9 vowels (which are represented just using three letters), and three tones (rising, mid-level, and falling). In Jibu, nasalization, labialization, and palatalization are considered to be part of the syllable, and are written along with it after the vowel. Nasalization is represented with n, except when it is at the end of a syllable it becomes doubled (/kʲã/ becomes kyann). Labialization is represented with w, and palatalization with y respectively.

Vowels

In Jibu, there are 9 phonemically different vowels, which are represented by ⟨a⟩, ⟨i⟩, and ⟨o⟩. A tenth sound resembling , is only used in loanwords from other languages, such as the neighboring Hausa, and is represented by ⟨u⟩.

Consonants

Jibu has 18 different consonant phonemes. Some different phonemes are represented by the same symbol, such as and being both represented as ⟨s⟩ in their older modified Americanist Phonetic Notation orthographic forms. If all of the consonant phonemes are represented using their older Americanist Phonetic Notation counterparts, there is no orthographic overlap. The sound , which is used in some Hausa loanwords, is commonly represented using ⟨'d⟩.

Tones

Jibu has three tones (four if the base tone is included). These tones are high (´), lowered-mid (') and low (`). The base tone is not written on words and in more recent publications, neither is the lowered-mid tone.