Editing Gula Iro language

{{Short description|Bua language of Chad}}
{{No footnotes|date=February 2008}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Gula Iro
|states=[[Chad]]
|speakers=3,500
|date=1991
|ref=e25
|familycolor=Niger-Congo
|fam2=[[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
|fam3=[[Mbum–Day languages|Mbum–Day]]
|fam4=[[Bua languages|Bua]]
|fam5=Gula
|iso3=glj
|glotto=gula1265
|glottorefname=Gula Iro
}}

The '''Gula Iro language''' (autonym ''kùláál'') is a [[Bua languages|Bua language]] spoken by some 3,500 people (in 1991) north and east of [[Lake Iro]] in southern [[Chad]], between the [[Bola River, Chad|Bola]] and [[Bahr Salamat|Salamat]] rivers.  It has four dialects, according to Pairault:
*''páṭóól'' (350 speakers), the northernmost and the least comprehensible to speakers of the other dialects, spoken in and around [[Badi, Chad|Badi]];
*''pòŋààl'' (2,000 speakers), by the north shore of the lake, spoken in and around [[Boum Kabir]], [[Boum Sarher]], and [[Tordjigel]];
*''tɩ́ààlà'' (730 speakers), spoken east and south of the lake, including [[Kouré, Chad|Kouré]], [[Bouni, Chad|Bouni]], [[Tormorhal]], and [[Masidjanga]];
*''tííṭààl'' (200 speakers), the easternmost, spoken in various villages west of [[Tamba, Chad|Tamba]];

to which [[Ethnologue]] adds a fifth, Korintal (170 speakers), spoken in [[Tieou]].<ref name=e25/>

Gula Iro is very closely related to [[Zan Gula language|Zan Gula]] and [[Bon Gula language|Bon Gula]], but they are not mutually comprehensible.

==Phonology==

The consonants, along with their orthography, are:

{|class=wikitable
|-
! 
! [[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]
! [[Labiodental consonant|Labiodental]]
! [[Apical consonant|Apico]]-[[dental consonant|dental]]
! [[Postalveolar consonant|Postalveolar]]
! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! [[Plosive]]s
| p
|
| t
| ṭ
| 
| k
| 
|-
! [[Fricative]]s
| 
| f
| 
| 
| s
|
| h
|-
! [[Liquid]]s
| w
| 
| l
|
| y
| 
|-
! [[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
| m
|
| n
|
| ñ
| ŋ
|-
! [[Trill consonant|Trill]]s
| 
|
| r
|}

The vowels are: a, e, i, o, u, ɛ, ɩ, ɔ, ʋ. Nasalization (only on a, e, o) and length are both contrastive, and diphthongs can be formed.  [[Tone (linguistics)|Tone]] is phonemic; each vowel must carry high or low tone.

==Grammar==

Typical word order is [[subject–verb–object]].  The basic subject pronouns are: ''ñó'' I, ''mó'' you (sg.), ''á'' he/she/it, ''pʋ́'' we (exclusive), ''én'' we (inclusive), ''í'' you (pl.), ''ʋ́'' they.

==Bibliography==

* P. Boyeldieu. "La formation du pluriel nominal en kulaal (Tchad): essai de systématisation des documents publiés par C. Pairault". ''Afrika und Übersee'', 1986, n° 69, vol. 2, p.&nbsp;209-249.
* C. Pairault, ''Documents du parler d'iro: kùláál du Tchad''.  Langues et Littérature de l'Afrique Noire V.  Klincksieck: Paris 1969.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Adamawa languages}}
[[Category:Languages of Chad]]
[[Category:Bua languages]]