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Yasa language
Iyasa (Yasa, Yassa) is a Bantu language spoken in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea by the Iyasa and Ndowe coastal fishing peoples. It is also spoken by Pygmies, perhaps Babongo, in Gabon. Approximately 3,000 people speak Iyasa,[3] though some note that this number may be an overestimation.[4] Iyasa also goes by the names Bongwe, Lyaasa, and Maasa. Dialects are Bweko, Vendo, Bodele, Marry, One, Asonga, Bomui, Mogana, Mooma, Mapanga. It may in turn be a dialect of Kombe. Speakers report that Kombe and Iyasa are almost perfectly mutually intelligible.[5] ClassificationDieu and Renaud (1993) classify Iyasa as a Sawabantu language (A.30 in Guthrie classification).[6] Geographic DistributionIyasa is spoken along the coast of Cameroon south of Kribi, including in the city of Campo. It is also spoken across the Ntem River in Equatorial Guinea.[7] The northernmost Iyasa village is Lolabe, 31 km south of Kribi.[5] PhonologyIyasa has a seven-vowel system:[5]
It also has 22 phonemic consonants:[5]
GrammarNoun classesIyasa has 12 noun classes, as outlined in the table below (adapted from Bôt 2011 and Bouh Ma Sitna 2004):[7][5]
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