Mbaali

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Classification and Dialects
Mbaali (pronounced /ba:li/ in English) is spoken by roughly 40 million people in Bidesh (/bɪdɛsk/) and is the official language of Bidesh. It is also spoken by a significant minority in the Jeeskambi Provence of Herestai. It is a member of the Alaqoin language family. It is normally classified into three dialects: North, South and Capital. These are differentiated by variation in phonology, particular the nasal plosives, which Capital Mbaali has none. Numerous colloquial varieties also exist.

Phonotactics

 * The syllable structure is C(C)V(C), where the first C is any consonant, the second is any consonant other than a nasalized plosive and the third is a fricative or nasal. However, if the first consonant is a plosive, nasal or nasalized plosive then the second consonant cannot be any of these.
 * The pharyngeal fricative /ħ/ is pronounced as a velar fricative /x/ at the end of a syllable.

Writing System
Long vowels are written either with a double vowel {aa} or with a macron {ā}

Example text

 * Enoskan ci nahan-id-al bideshi-on ondam-an-al.
 * We live in the nation of the Biseshian People.
 * live-1st.person.plural.neuter we nation-in-def.art bidesh-adj.plural plur-person-of-def.art