Chakali language
Chakali is a Gur language of Ghana, spoken in several villages in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region. The majority of Chakali are bilingual in Wali.
Phonology
Chakali phonology is typical of Gur languages, with tone, vowel harmony, and labial–velar consonantVowels
Chakali contrasts long and short vowels, as well as advanced and retracted tongue root vowels, which play a role in vowel harmony. While typically treated as a "neutral" vowel for tongue root harmony, might surface as following -ATR vowels, but this is not phonemic. Additionally, arises during epenthesis or vowel reduction.
All phonemic vowels can also appear nasalized, which is often due to the influence of a neighboring nasal consonant or glottal fricative. Nasal vowels do occur phonemically in certain words, as demonstrated by near-minimal or minimal pairs:
- 'enter', 'laziness'
- 'ancient', 'do by force'
- 'go down', 'honey'
Consonants
- surfaces as in word-final or word-medial onset position.
- and usually surface as between vowels.
- All nasals are realized as in word-final position.
Grammar
Chakali is a subject–verb–object language.
