The list below shows some minimal or near minimal pairs.
Minimal Pairs
Consonant and vowel minimal pairs are given here to justify contrasts that one might find worthy of scrutiny.
| Contrast |
Item 1 |
Gloss |
Item 2 |
Gloss
|
| i : ii |
liƥ |
fish |
liiƥ |
to measure
|
| e : ee |
ref |
to be |
reef |
to follow
|
| o : oo |
dor |
to fold |
door |
to start
|
| u : uu |
xuf |
to startle |
xuuf |
to cut short
|
| a : aa |
kaf |
joke |
kaaf |
millet plants
|
| i : e |
wil |
hair |
wel |
to be sharp
|
| ii : ee |
xiiñ |
to squint |
xeeñ |
heart, lung
|
| e : a |
sex |
to carve off |
sax |
insult
|
| ee : aa |
|
|
|
|
| a : o |
|
|
|
|
| aa : oo |
aqaal |
boat sp. |
aqool |
standing dead tree trunk
|
| o : u |
sox |
to dehusk millet |
sux |
to plug a hole
|
| oo : uu |
|
|
|
|
| c : ƈ |
oxiic |
jujube |
oxiiƈ |
bone
|
Consonants
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ˈtadikʰ |
- |
three
|
| ⁿdiitˈ |
- |
bird
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ŋɡol |
- |
finger
|
| oŋɡool |
- |
moon
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| famb |
- |
drum
|
| faaɓ |
- |
frog
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| fidɛl |
- |
fire
|
| ˈʔambɛ:l |
- |
lake
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ƥa̰:k |
- |
baobab tree
|
| ɓa:k |
- |
baobab fruit
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| oˈɟɛm |
- |
salt
|
| ˈɟimb |
- |
transplant
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ˈɟimb |
- |
transplant
|
| ˈcimb |
- |
seedling
|
| aˈkim |
- |
song
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| oˈqol |
- |
field
|
| oˈkol |
- |
glue (Fr.)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| aˈnaaq |
- |
branch
|
| aˈnaaχaha |
- |
senile, negligent
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| mbɪnd |
- |
house (sg)
|
| pɪnd |
- |
house (pl)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| suk |
- |
boat
|
| sug |
- |
pound millet
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| suk |
- |
boat
|
| ɗuk |
- |
tackle
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| okor |
- |
man
|
| okol |
- |
glue (Fr.)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| fiɗel |
- |
fire (sg)
|
| piɗel |
- |
fire (pl)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ndaχar |
- |
tree
|
| taχar |
- |
tree (pl)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| mbaal |
- |
sheep (sg)
|
| paal |
- |
sheep (pl)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| mbof |
- |
tied bundle (pl)
|
| pof |
- |
tied bundle (pl)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ndeen |
- |
stove (sg)
|
| teen |
- |
stove (pl)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ndiig |
- |
rainy season (sg)
|
| tiig |
- |
rainy season (pl)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| nɟɔŋg |
- |
bed (sg)
|
| cɔŋg |
- |
bed (pl)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| nduus |
- |
knife (sg)
|
| ruus |
- |
knife (pl)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| gin |
- |
egg
|
| giɲ |
- |
(be) full
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| lug |
- |
gangrene (?)
|
| luɗ |
- |
borrow
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| atɛƥ |
- |
rain
|
| atɛɓ |
- |
small (class x)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| atɛɓ |
- |
small (class x)
|
| adɛɓ |
- |
small (class y)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| χal |
- |
make a mistake, misspeak
|
| kal |
- |
a mistake
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| (mɛhɛ) χɔ:χa |
- |
'I'm cultivating'
|
| (inwɛ) ɴɢɔ:χa |
- |
'We're cultivating'
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| fa:ɲik |
- |
elephant (sg)
|
| pa:ɲik |
- |
elephant (pl)
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ʄu:d |
- |
thunder
|
| ɗu:d |
- |
swallow
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ɗat |
- |
pick fruit
|
| ƭat |
- |
(be) right
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ɗat |
- |
pick fruit
|
| ɗap |
- |
wash laundry
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| dam |
- |
hold sth. for
|
| daɓ |
- |
bellybutton
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ɗaj |
- |
happiness
|
| ɓaj |
- |
blow
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| gar |
- |
come
|
| gaʔ |
- |
see
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| naf |
- |
hit
|
| nag |
- |
pick up
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| rɛf |
- |
be
|
| gɛf |
- |
crack, break
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| tok |
- |
on, on top of
|
| ɓok |
- |
(be) pigeon-toed
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| aʄɛwa |
- |
He gets water from a well
|
| aƈɛwa |
- |
They get water from a well
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| afo:la |
- |
He jumps
|
| ambo:la |
- |
They jump
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| abuga |
- |
He loves
|
| ambuga |
- |
They love
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| awa:ɗa |
- |
He looks for
|
| amba:ɗa |
- |
They look for
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ɟik |
- |
buy
|
| ɗik |
- |
two
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| aɟika |
- |
He buys
|
| aɲɟika |
- |
They buy
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ɓood |
- |
to crawl
|
| ƥood |
- |
snake (lit. 'crawler')
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| qɔχ |
- |
bulls
|
| ɴɢɔχ |
- |
a bull
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| laac |
- |
to ask for
|
| laƈ |
- |
a limp
|
| laʄ |
- |
to limp
|
Vowels
| word |
|
gloss
|
| daɓ |
- |
belly button
|
| deɓ |
- |
rain
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| faɗ |
- |
to slap
|
| fiɓ |
- |
to sift
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| naf |
- |
to hit
|
| nof |
- |
ear
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| sak |
- |
to hold something
|
| suk |
- |
boat
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| gen |
- |
to live
|
| gin |
- |
egg
|
| gon |
- |
name
|
| gum |
- |
to have a mouth full of water
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| liƥ |
- |
fish
|
| luƥ |
- |
a borrowing
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| log |
- |
to have a mouth full of food
|
| lug |
- |
abscess
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| xas |
- |
to scold
|
| xaas |
- |
to fart
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| ten |
- |
he/she/it
|
| teen |
- |
breast
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| gin |
- |
egg
|
| giiñ |
- |
to swear an oath
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| liƥ |
- |
fish
|
| liiɓ |
- |
to measure
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| χooχ |
- |
to cultivate
|
| χoχ |
- |
head
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| luƥ |
- |
a borrowing
|
| aluuƥ |
- |
a flute
|
| word |
|
gloss
|
| poj |
- |
tomb
|
| paj |
- |
sarong
|
