# Mantsi language (Nigeria)

Mantsi (also known as Ma’as or Mangas) is an endangered Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Mangas town in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Blench (2020) reports that it is also called Mantsi. According to Blench, the structure of Mantsi differs significantly from the other South Bauchi languages.
Word lists of Mantsi had previously been published in Kiyoshi Shimizu's (1978) South Bauchi survey, which first mentioned the existence of the language. An unpublished word list was also recorded by Ronald Cosper (n.d.).

## Names

Mantsi speakers refer to their language as Pyik Mantsi [pʲìk mántsì], and to themselves as the Mantsi [mántsì] people. Although there are fewer than 1,000 speakers, the language is still being spoken by children.

## Demographics

Mantsi is spoken in the single village of Mantsi (locally known as Maɗana [mánànā] or Ma’as [màʔās]) in the southern part of Bauchi LGA, Bauchi State. The Kir [Kyiir] and Laar peoples, who speak closely related but distinct languages, live just to the northeast of Mantsi village in the nearby villages of Kir and Laar, respectively.

## Classification

Mantsi belongs to the Kir branch of the South Bauchi languages. It is most closely related to Kir and Laar, as shown by the lexical comparisons below.
| Gloss | Mantsi | Kir | Laar |
| ash | múrə̀m | ŋúreŋ | ŋŋoro |
| bird | ɗōōr | dot | ɗwoot |
| blood | púrùm | pirə̀ŋ | firàŋ |
| bone | gùl | gwàŋàl | gwaŋal |
| fat | gìndɨ́r | yində̀r | yində̀r |
| leg | wāsɨ̄m | wasəm | wasəm |
| moon | pʲāŋ | pyaŋ | pyaŋ |
| mountain | lamba | lamba | lamba |
| stone | pʲār | pyat | pyat |
| kill | túk | tuk | tuk |
Mantsi also has some lexical innovations, which are:
| Gloss | Mantsi |
| fish | kʲáálòŋ |
| night | dāːhùr |
| path | da᷄n |
| nine | krōmsā |

## Phonology

Mantsi has 3 level tones, as well as rising and falling contour tones.

## Grammar

Number is not marked morphologically.

## Lexicon
### Plants and animals

Some Mantsi names of plants and animals:
| Mantsi name | Mantsi name in IPA | English name | Scientific name |
| alade nawe | àládè náwè | bush pig | |
| anggulu | àŋgùlú | vulture | Necrosyrtes monachus |
| asha | áʃà | acha; fonio | Digitaria exilis |
| baanpɨri | bàːnpɨŕ ì | patas monkey | Erythrocebus patas |
| bagərəm | bàgə̀rə̀m | spitting cobra | Naja nigricollis |
| banggira | bàŋgìrà | monitor lizard | |
| banyangwe | bàɲāŋwé | jackal | Canis adustus |
| bapakɨr | bàpākɨŕ | leopard | Panthera pardus |
| barasa | bàràsā | risga | Plectranthus esculentus |
| busha | búʃá | hedgehog | Atelerix albiventris |
| bəbaamkam | bə̀bàːmkām | agama lizard | |
| ɓal | ɓāl | bean; cowpea | Vigna unguiculata |
| ɓalyagho | ɓàljáɣò | chameleon | |
| ɓar | ɓār | pumpkin | Cucurbita pepo |
| ɓarwak | ɓàrʷāk | rock python | Python sebae |
| ɓauna | ɓáwná | buffalo | Syncerus caffer |
| ɓiikhi | ɓíːxì | silk-cotton tree sp. | |
| ɓindɨr | ɓīndɨr̄ | scorpion | |
| ɓoko | ɓókò | baobab | Adansonia digitata |
| ɓonggutər | ɓòŋgútə̄r | grasscutter; cane rat | Thryonomys swinderianus |
| dabra | dàbrà | shea tree | Vitellaria paradoxa |
| ɗeesi | ɗéːsì | tamarind | Tamarindus indica |
| gar | gàr | black monkey | Cercopithecus tantalus |
| giginya | gígíɲà | fan palm | Borassus aethiopum |
| giler | gílēr | weaver bird | Ploceus cucullatus |
| goprang | gòpràŋ | okra | Abelmoschus esculentus |
| gwomli | gʷòmlì | pouched rat, giant rat | Cricetomys gambianus |
| gyerwul | gʲérwúl | spiral cowpea | Vigna unguiculata |
| hangkaka | hànkákà | pied crow | Corvus albus |
| hom | ho᷄m | baboon | Papio anubis |
| hur | hùr | porcupine | Hystrix cristata |
| iski wandɨr | ískì wàndɨr̀ | Angolan green snake | Philothamnus angolensis |
| kambong | kāmbôŋ | cocoyam | Colocasia esculenta |
| koon | kōːn | bush fowl; francolin | Francolinus |
| kursi | kūrsī | sorrel; roselle | Hibiscus esculentus |
| kwongsi | kʷóŋsì | garden egg | Solanum incanum |
| kyap | kʲâp | beniseed; sesame | Sesamum indicum |
| kyoor | kʲóːr | crocodile | Crocodylus suchus |
| lalo | lálò | Jews' mallow | Corchorus olitorius |
| lɨng | lɨŋ̂ | elephant | Elephas maximus |
| maiwa | màjwā | millet sp. | |
| mam bakin | mám bàkìn | aerial yam | Dioscorea bulbifera |
| mam nawe | mám nàwè | bush yam | Dioscorea sp. |
| min | mīn | locust bean | Parkia biglobosa |
| ndyaar | ndʲáār | house bat | Scotophilus sp. |
| nnyan | ɲɲân | black plum | Vitex doniana |
| rama | rámà | kenaf | Hibiscus cannabinus |
| rimi | rímí | silk-cotton tree | Ceiba pentandra |
| rwaknisisan barina | rʷàknísīsān bàrīnā | royal python | Python regius |
| sham | ʃàm | guinea fowl | Numida meleagris |
| shin | ʃìn | dassie, rock rabbit, rock hyrax | Procavia capensis |
| shuwaka | ʃùwākā | bitterleaf | Vernonia amygdalina |
| tlari | ɬàrì | ground squirrel | Xerus erythropus |
| tlari kɨɓaryam | ɬàrì kɨɓ́ àrja᷄m | Senegal galago | Galago senegalensis |
| twang | tʷáŋ | tigernut | Cyperus esculentus |
| wang | wāŋ | Bambara nut | Vigna subterranea |

### Numerals

Mantsi numerals:
| Gloss | Mantsi |
| one | nə̄m |
| two | ɗīːn |
| three | wéːn |
| four | úpsí |
| five | tūːn |
| six | màɣà |
| seven | ɲíngí |
| eight | gàːmfí |
| nine | krōmsā |
| ten | zúp |
| eleven | sūlūŋ nə᷄m |