Leti

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A language of Cameroon

ISO 639-3
leo
Alternate Names
Mengisa-Leti, Mengissa, Tiki, Tungidjo, Tungijo
User Population

Some L1 speakers (2014 SIL).

Location

Centre region: Lekié division, Sa’a subdivision, Nkolebassimbi and Nkolndzomo villages; Mbam-and-Inoubou division, north of Sanaga river.

Language Maps
Language Status

7 (Shifting).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Sanaga (A.601)
Dialects

Leti is closely related to and may be a dialect of Tuki [bag] (2014 SIL). Lexical similarity: 82%–84% with Tuki [bag], 23% with Ewondo [ewo], Eton [eto], and Mengisa [mct].

Language Use

The Mengisa people reportedly speak 2 languages: Mengisa [mct], and Leti. However the linguistic context is rather complex and a very thorough sociolinguistic survey needs to be done. Most of the Mengisa people speak Mengisa; a percentage of them use Leti as a ‘secret language´, so that their Ekwondo and Eton neighbors cannot understand them. There is also a smaller population of the Mengisa who speak Leti as their mother tongue (2014 SIL). Shifting to Eton [etn]. Most also use French [fra]. Also use Mengisa [mct]. Also use Tuki [bag]. Used as L2 by Mengisa [mct].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: High in French [fra].

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Leti
Writing

Unwritten [Qaax].

Other Comments

Ethnically, Leti speakers consider themselves Mengissa people, even though their language is very different from Mengisa [mct], the other language spoken by their ethnic group.