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Lese is a Central Sudanic language of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as a name for the people who speak this language. The Lese people live in association with the Efé Pygmies and share their language, which is occasionally known as Lissi or Efe.

Although Efe is given a separate ISO code, Bahuchet (2006) notes that it is not even a distinct dialect, though there is dialectical variation in the language of the Lese (Dese, Karo).cite-ref-2[2]

Lese is spoken in Mambasa Territory, Watsa Territory, and Irumu Territory.cite-ref-bokula-3-0[3]

• Phonology

• Consonants

• Vowels

• References

| | | Labial | Alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | Labial– velar | Labial- uvular | Glottal |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

| Plosive | voiceless | p | t | ʈ | | k | k͡p | q͡ɓ | ʔ |

| Plosive | voiced | b | d | | | ɡ | ɡ͡b | q͡ɓ | |

| Plosive | implosive | ɓ | ɗ | | | | ɠ͡ɓ | q͡ɓ | |

| Fricative | voiceless | f | s | | | | | | h |

| Fricative | voiced | v | | | | | | | |

| Affricate | voiceless | p͡f | | | t͡ʃ | | | | |

| Affricate | voiced | b͡v | | | d͡ʒ | | | | |

| Nasal | Nasal | m | n | | | | | | |

| Lateral | Lateral | | l | | | | | | |

| Rhotic | Rhotic | | r | | | | | | |

| Approximant | Approximant | | | | j | | w | | |

• [q͡p] is an allophone of [q͡ɓ].cite-ref-0-4-0[4] In the Demolin 1999, the meaning of /q͡ɓ/ is unclear, but /q͡ɓ/ seems to be a voiceless labial–uvular stop with significant lowering and a strong release. More research is needed to determine the true nature of this sound.cite-ref-5[5]

• /r/ can also be heard as a tap sound [ɾ].cite-ref-6[6]

| | Front | Central | Back |

|---|---|---|---|

| Close | i | | u |

| Near-close | ɪ | | ʊ |

| Close-mid | e | | o |

| Open-mid | ɛ | | ɔ |

| Open | | a | |

• In rare cases, /ɛ/ can be heard in phonological opposition as a rounded [œ].cite-ref-7[7]

cite-note-e18-11. Lese at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required) Efe at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

cite-note-22. ↑ citerefbahuchet2006Bahuchet, Serge (2006). "Languages of the African Rainforest 'Pygmy' Hunter-Gatherers: Language Shifts without Cultural Admixture". Historical linguistics and hunter-gatherers populations in global perspective (PDF). Leipzig. HAL hal-00548207.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

cite-note-bokula-33. ↑ citerefbokulairumu1994Bokula, Moiso; Irumu, Agozia-Kario (1994). "Bibliographie et matériaux lexicaux des langues Moru-Mangbetu (Soudan-Central, Zaïre)". Annales Aequatoria. 10: 203‒245.

cite-note-0-44. ↑ citerefdemolinteston1997Demolin, Didier; Teston, Bernard (September 1997). "Phonetic characteristics of double articulations in some Mangbutu-Efe languages" (PDF). International Speech Communication Association: 803–806.

cite-note-55. ↑ citerefg-ldemann2018Güldemann, Tom (2018-09-10). Güldemann, Tom (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of Africa. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 11. Walter de Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783110421668. ISBN 978-3-11-042175-0. S2CID 158969184.

cite-note-66. ↑ citerefsmith1938Smith, Edwin W. (1938). A Tentative Grammar of the Efe or Mbuti language. Methodist Missionary Society in Africa & Bible Society.

cite-note-77. ↑ citerefvorbichler1965Vorbichler, Anton (1965). Die Phonologie und Morphologie des Balese (Ituri-Urwald, Kongo). Glückstadt: J. J. Augustin. OCLC 4813740.