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‘joint’, CM CM CM CM ‘ankle’, and CM CM CM CM ‘wrist’; verbs: C=M= C=M= ‘jam’, =M= =M= =M= =M= ‘break’, M M M M
‘lift’, M= M= ‘send’, M= M= ‘knock down’, M= M= M= M= ‘be supple’, M=J= M=J= ‘uproot’, M M M M ‘spray’, MC MC MC MC
‘shake’, ME ME ‘throw’, MEE MEE MEE MEE ‘discuss’, MKK MKK MKK MKK ‘agitate’, MKCKK MKCKK MKCKK MKCKK ‘lament’, and M M M M ‘roll’;
adjectives: M=C= M=C= M=C= M=C= ‘alternate’; adverbs: MEECE MEECE MEECE MEECE ‘firmly’; and ideophones: C>M C>M C>M C>M (with
‘throw’).
2. Ngbandi-Sango-Kpatiri. Kpatili [KYM] (Central African Republic). Boyd
(1988: 38, 107, 119) reports a labial flap in “Kpatiri”. He attests it in the words LA LA ‘to
throw’, LK(JK LK(JK ‘calf (anat.)’, and =L= =L= =L= =L= ‘right’.
3. Gbaya-Manza-Ngbaka. The labial flap is attested in four Gbaya-Manza-
Ngbaka languages. Grand’Eury (1991) provides evidence for contrast in Ngbaka-
Minagende, but she does not consider the sound to be phonemic since it only occurs in
ideophones. In the language group, the sound occurs in ideophones and animal names. It
is considered rare.
Gbaya-Bossangoa [GBP] (Central African Republic). A labiodental flap is
reported in Gbaya-Bossangoa by Samarin (1966: 26) and Moñino (1995: 162-3). Samarin
reports it in the words CKLK(K CKLK(K CKLK(K CKLK(K ‘a very deep place in a river’, DL DL DL DL ‘descriptive of
passing on or falling out of sight’, DLL DLL DLL DLL ‘exclamation of victory (at winning at a throw
of dice)’, L L L L ‘descriptive of hitting something’, C=(L= C=(L= ‘fish-trapping ramp’ (used only at
the town of Bowe).
Gbaya, Northwest [GYA] (Cameroon, Central African Republic). A labiodental
flap is attested in Northwest Gbaya by Moñino & Roulon (1972: 65) (Gbaya Kara 'Bodoe
dialect), Noss (1981: 9) (Yaayuwee dialect), and Moñino (1995: 58). Noss considers the
sound a phoneme, but does not provide evidence of contrast. He attests the sound in two
ideophones: D D L LL L ‘abrupt movement’, and L== L== ‘sound produced by tapping something
soft’. Moñino reports the following, all ideophones: L L
‘noise of the fall of an object’,
D(L( D(L( D(L( D(L( ‘sheer’, DK(LK(LK(LK( DK(LK(LK(LK( ‘with a noise of breaking water’. It is rare.
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