Yukuben

Yukuben is a Benue-Congo (Niger-Congo phylum) language spoken by some 20,000 persons along the foot of the mountains separating Cameroon and Nigeria. The vowel system is based on [ATR] harmony, and the consonant inventory is complex and fairly symmetric. Nouns are arranged in classes with an agreement system. In the verbal structure aspect and mood are more relevant than tense, whereby the aspect system is considered under two main broad sub-systems, precisely perfective and imperfective. The basic word order is SVO. The chapter gives a neat overview of the phonological system, of word categories, derivational and inflectional processes, and syntactic patterns such as subordination and coordination.