Pare (Kipare), also known as Asu (Casu, Chasu, Athu, Chathu), is a Northeast Coast Bantu language spoken by the Pare people of Tanzania.

Pare
Kipare, Casu
Native toTanzania
Native speakers
500,000 (2000)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3asa
Glottologasut1235
G.22[2]

Phonology

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Consonants[3]
Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar
Plosive p b t d k g
Prenasalized ᵐp ᵐb ⁿt ⁿd ⁿz ⁿdʑ ᵑk ᵑg
Fricative f v (θ) (ð) s z ɕ x ɣ
Nasal m n ŋ
Approximant w r, l j
  • The dental fricatives /θ ð/ are only found in Swahili loanwords.
  • /m/ can be syllabic.
Vowels[3]
Front Central Back
High i u
Mid e o
Low a

Additionally, Pare distinguishes between high tone and low tone.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Pare at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ^ a b c Kagaya, Ryohei (1989). "A Classified Vocabulary of the Pare Language". Bantu Vocabulario Series. 6. Tokyo: Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa: 1–179.