A cross linguistic variation between Kisuundi Kya Mayama and Kikoongo Kya Nseke

Abstract

This contribution compares the phonematic systems of Kisuundi kya Mayama and Kinseke, two Koongo language varieties, with a particular attention to their intelligibility. Accordingly, it comes out of discussion that both Kisuundi kya Mayama and Kinseke attest twenty-one similar consonant phonemes, where four / ɤ, s, z, d/ get to allophonize in Kisuundi kya Mayama and three / ɤ, s, z / in Kinseke, and five vowels. So being, phonological processes like prenasalization, palatalization, palatoalveolarization, apicoalveolarization, incrementization, decrementization and long distance assimilation appearing as stable phonological assimilatory processes in the two language varieties. Finally, it issues from the discussion that the two language varieties share intelligibly a percentage of 69,80% making them more endo-exogenous than exo-endogenous.