Ngoreme language

Ngurimi (Ngoreme) is a Bantu language of Tanzania. Ngoreme is spoken in the Serengeti District of the Mara Region of north-west Tanzania by some 55, 000 people.^[4] There are two main dialects of Ngoreme - a northern dialect and a southern dialect - which maintain mutual intelligibility.

Phonology

Ngoreme shares a vowel inventory with the majority of the Mara languages: /i e ɛ a ɔ o u/. However, Ngoreme has an asymmetrical vowel inventory, with 7 phonemic vowels in nouns but only 5 vowels (/i ɛ a ɔ u/) in verbs.

Nominal system

In common with many Bantu languages, Ngoreme nouns typically consist of a noun stem, a noun class prefix and an augment (or pre-prefix) vowel. Augment vowels are invariable but the vowels that occurs in the noun class prefixes commonly exhibit variant forms as determined by vowel harmony. Ngoreme has 19 noun classes, with the classes 1-10 exhibiting regular singular/plural pairings, class 11 is attested, as is class 12 which contains diminutives, class 14 is also found. Class 15 contains verb nouns (or infinitives), class 16, 17 and 18 are also attested and are the locative classes. Class 19 is the plural diminutive class whilst class 20 is a (singular) augmentative class.

References

Languages of Tanzania
Official languages	Swahili English
Indigenous languages	Bantu Northeast Bantu Bena–Kinga Bena Hehe Kinga Kisi Manda Pangwa Sangu Vwanji Chaga Central Kilimanjaro Gweno Rombo Rusa West Kilimanjaro Great Lakes Ha Hangaza Ikizu Ikoma Jita Kabwa Kara Kerewe Kuria Kwaya Ngoreme Nyambo Suba-Simbiti Sumbwa Vinza Zanaki Zinza Kikuyu–Kamba Sonjo Northeast Coast Digo Doe Gogo Kagulu Kami Kutu Kwere Luguru Ngulu Sagara Shambala Vidunda Zaramo Takama Holoholo Iramba Isanzu Kimbu Nyamwezi Sukuma Turu Kilombero Mbunga Ndamba Pogolo Rufiji–Ruvuma Matengo Matumbi Mpoto Mwera Ndendeule Ndengereko Ndonde Ngindo Ngoni Nindi Yao Rukwa Bungu Fipa Lambya Malila Mwanga Nyakyusa Nyiha Nyika Safwa Wanda Other Bantu Bemba Makhuwa Mbamba Bay Mbugwe Rangi Cushitic Alagwa Asa Burunge Gorowa Iraqw Kw'adza Nilo-Saharan Datooga Kisankasa Kwavi Maasai Mediak Mosiro Ngasa Ogiek Other Hadza Sandawe
Sign languages	Tanzanian sign languages