Kele language (Gabon)

See also: Kele language (disambiguation)

Kélé
Dikele
Native to	Gabon, a few in Congo
Ethnicity	Kele people
Native speakers	14,000 (2000–2007)[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Bantu (Zone B) Kele languages (b. 20) Kélé
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Either: keb – West Kele, Bubi nra – Ngom
Guthrie code	B.22[2]

Kele is a Bantu language of Gabon. Dialects of the Kele language are scattered throughout Gabon.

• West Kele (Kili) is spoken by the Kele people, scattered in Middle Ogooué Province, Mimongo area.^[3]
• Ngom (Angom, Ungomo) is used with only minor differences by the Kola/Koya Pygmies. It is spoken on both sides of the border with the Republic of the Congo.
• Bubi (not the same as the Bubi language)
• Tombidi
• Mwesa

Phonology

Consonants^[4]

	Labial	Alveolar	Dorsal
Plosive	p b	t d	k g
Fricative	f v	s z
Nasal	m	n	ŋ
Approximant	w	l	j

Vowels^[4]

	Front	Central	Back
High	i iː		u uː
Mid-high	e eː		o oː
Mid-low	ɛ ɛː		ɔ ɔː
Low		a aː

Kele also has two tones;^[4] high and low.

References

1. West Kele, Bubi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
   Ngom at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
3. "Kélé A language of Gabon". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
4. Bingoumou, Justin (2008). Esquisse phonologique du ntumbidi parlé à Rébé (MA thesis). Libreville: Université Omar Bongo.