Mesaka

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A language of Cameroon

ISO 639-3
iyo
Alternate Names
Banagere, Iyon, Messaga, Messaga-Ekol, Messaka
Population

14,000 (1982 SIL).

Location

South West Region, Manyu division, on Nigeria border northeast of Akwaya, isolated.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Tivoid
Dialects

Batomo (Babasi). Batomo dialect may be a separate language, or may be the same as Motomo (Oliti, Matchi), a dialect of Iceve-Maci [bec]. Lexical similarity: 70% with Tiv [tiv].

Typology

SVO; noun head initial; 12 noun classes; tonal; 25 consonant phonemes; 8 vowel phonemes

Language Use

Also use Tiv [tiv] or Cameroon Pidgin [wes].

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mesaka
Writing
Unwritten.
Other Comments

Ethnic autonym: Ugare, Mesaka is used by the government, Iyon by the Tiv. Traditional religion.