Zialo language

Spoken in

Niger - Congo

• Mande West -Mande Southwest Mende Loma Mende - Bandi Bandi - Zialo

Zil

Zialo ( self-identification Ziolo ) is a language that is spoken by the people of Zialo in Guinea.

The language belongs to the southwestern Zialo group of the Mande languages ​​of the Niger - Congo language family and is spoken by about 25,000 people who reside in the province Macenta in southeastern Guinea. For Zialo - area includes over 50 villages (including two centers of subprefectures ). Almost a third of all Zialo -native now living in the neighboring towns of Macenta and Gekedou, as well as in the capital Conakry. The Zialo does not have a writing system; people only use French in all official matters.

Zialo long time was regarded as a remote dialect of Loma, but there are significant differences between the two languages. The tonology and Phonetiken of Zialo similar to Loma, but the vocabulary and the morphological system of the Zialo are the Bandi and Mende closer. Zialo is characterized by the extensive use of nasal vowels and consonants, the vast system of initial consonant alternations, a large number of analytical verb constructions of time and aspect as well as over 15 different kinds of pronouns. Zialo - speakers call five dialects of their language: Bayawa, Wolo - Ziolo, Woyjawa, Kelighigo and Lawolozu, of which the last is the most specific.