𖫐
Only occurs before oral vowels in a few instances.b,5
Intervocalic usage
Can be second member of consonant 'cluster', always followed by a nasal vowel. Doesn't follow dʲ, ɗ, ɓ, or n.b,9
ɾ after d or t,b,9 eg. 𖫞𖫪𖫲𖫐𖫐𖫪𖫲𖫐
n̆ after all other consonants,b,9 eg. 𖫟𖫧𖫰𖫐𖫐𖫧𖫰𖫐
Nasalisation
Also used in syllable-final position to indicate nasalisation of the preceding vowel,sr eg. 𖫛𖫨𖫰𖫐-𖫛𖫨𖫰𖫐 wɔ¹n-wɔ¹n (wɔ̃́-wɔ̃́)
When it appears before another consonant without an intervening vowel, it is nasalising the preceding vowel.3 Two ENNI in a row indicates a nasalised vowel followed by an intervocalic n, and is always written this way to avoid confusion,b,46 eg. 𖫣𖫬𖫱𖫐𖫐𖫬𖫱𖫐
`, '\u{16AD1}': `𖫑
k eg. 𖫜𖫧𖫱𖫑𖫧𖫰
`, '\u{16AD2}': `𖫒
s eg. 𖫔𖫧𖫱𖫒𖫨𖫴
`, '\u{16AD3}': `𖫓
f eg. 𖫓𖫪𖫰𖫞𖫪𖫰
`, '\u{16AD4}': `𖫔
ɓ or m (not common) when followed by an oral vowel, eg. 𖫔𖫧𖫴
m when followed by a nasalised vowel, ie. when the syllable ends with 𖫐 [U+16AD0 BASSA VAH LETTER ENNI], eg. 𖫔𖫨𖫰𖫐
Intervocalic usage
ɓ can be second member of consonant 'cluster', always followed by an oral vowel. Occurs after d, t, ɗ, and kb,9, eg. 𖫞𖫧𖫰𖫔𖫧𖫰
m can be second member of consonant 'cluster', always followed by a nasal vowel. Occurs after t, n, s, z, and kb,9, eg. 𖫡𖫬𖫱𖫐𖫔𖫬𖫱𖫐
`, '\u{16AD5}': `𖫕
dʲ when followed by an oral vowel, eg. 𖫕𖫪𖫰
ɲ when followed by a nasalised vowel, ie. when the syllable ends with 𖫐 [U+16AD0 BASSA VAH LETTER ENNI], eg. 𖫤𖫭𖫲𖫐𖫕𖫫𖫲𖫐
Bertkau knows only one instance where this is followed by an oral, rather than nasal, vowel.b,5
`, '\u{16AD6}': `𖫖
ɡ eg. 𖫖𖫫𖫲𖫞𖫫𖫲
`, '\u{16AD7}': `𖫗
d
𖫗𖫧𖫲𖫔𖫧𖫲
`, '\u{16AD8}': `𖫘
k͡p eg. 𖫘𖫨𖫲𖫐
`, '\u{16AD9}': `𖫙
ɟ
𖫙𖫧𖫳𖫑𖫧𖫲𖫒𖫭𖫱
`, '\u{16ADA}': `𖫚
xʷ ~ ħʷ
𖫚𖫧𖫲
`, '\u{16ADB}': `𖫛
w eg. 𖫧𖫰𖫛𖫧𖫱
`, '\u{16ADC}': `𖫜
z eg. 𖫜𖫧𖫱𖫑𖫧𖫰
`, '\u{16ADD}': `𖫝
ɡ͡b when followed by an oral vowelb,5, eg. 𖫝𖫧𖫳
ŋ͡m when followed by a nasal vowelb,5, eg. 𖫝𖫧𖫲𖫐
`, '\u{16ADE}': `𖫞
Never immediately followed by a nasal vowel.b,5
Intervocalic usage
Can be second member of consonant 'cluster', always followed by an oral vowel. Doesn't follow ɗ, m, n, or ɲ.b,9
ɾ after d or tb,9, eg. 𖫡𖫩𖫳𖫞𖫩𖫳
ɺ after all other consonantsb,9, eg. 𖫓𖫪𖫰𖫞𖫪𖫰
`, '\u{16ADF}': `𖫟
c eg. 𖫟𖫫𖫰𖫞𖫬𖫱
`, '\u{16AE0}': `𖫠
hʷ eg. 𖫠𖫭𖫰𖫧𖫱
`, '\u{16AE1}': `𖫡
d eg. 𖫡𖫩𖫳𖫞𖫩𖫳
`, '\u{16AE2}': `𖫢
b eg. 𖫢𖫧𖫲𖫢𖫧𖫲
`, '\u{16AE3}': `𖫣
v eg. 𖫣𖫬𖫱𖫐𖫐𖫬𖫱𖫐
`, '\u{16AE4}': `𖫤
h eg. 𖫤𖫭𖫲𖫐𖫕𖫫𖫲𖫐
Rare, occurring mostly in borrowed words.b,5
`, '\u{16AE5}': `𖫥
p eg. 𖫥𖫧𖫱𖫥𖫧𖫱
`, '\u{16AE6}': `𖫦
ɾ rarely used consonant. It was added to the repertoire by its inventor, Dr. Lewis, but never used by him, to represent the sound ɾ, which is an allophone of ɗ and appears only after t or d in a syllable initial 'cluster'. This is generally written with 𖫞 [U+16ADE BASSA VAH LETTER DO] or 𖫐 [U+16AD0 BASSA VAH LETTER ENNI], eg.
𖫡𖫩𖫳𖫞𖫩𖫳
Transitional vowel
In some cases, determined by personal preference, the initial vowel may be replaced with 𖫦 [U+16AE6 BASSA VAH LETTER WADDA],b2 eg.
𖫞𖫦𖫰𖫔𖫧𖫰
`, '\u{16AE7}': `𖫧
a eg. 𖫧𖫰𖫛𖫧𖫱
`, '\u{16AE8}': `𖫨
ɔ eg. 𖫔𖫧𖫱𖫒𖫨𖫴
`, '\u{16AE9}': `𖫩
o eg. 𖫡𖫩𖫳𖫞𖫩𖫳
`, '\u{16AEA}': `𖫪
u eg. 𖫓𖫪𖫰𖫞𖫪𖫰
`, '\u{16AEB}': `𖫫
e eg. 𖫟𖫫𖫰𖫞𖫬𖫱
`, '\u{16AEC}': `𖫬
ɛ eg. 𖫞𖫬𖫲
`, '\u{16AED}': `𖫭
i eg. 𖫒𖫭𖫰𖫧𖫱𖫪𖫰𖫐
`, '\u{16AF0}': `𖫰
˦ high tone mark, eg.
𖫞𖫧𖫰𖫔𖫧𖫰
In Latin transcription á
`, '\u{16AF1}': `𖫱
˨ low tone mark, eg.
𖫥𖫧𖫱𖫥𖫧𖫱
In Latin transcription à
`, '\u{16AF2}': `𖫲
˧ mid tone mark, eg.
𖫞𖫬𖫲
In Latin transcription ē or no diacritic.
`, '\u{16AF3}': `𖫳
˨˧ low-mid tone mark, eg.
𖫡𖫩𖫳𖫞𖫩𖫳
In Latin transcription a᷅ or ǎ.
`, '\u{16AF4}': `𖫴
˥˩ high-low tone mark, eg.
𖫔𖫧𖫱𖫒𖫨𖫴
In Latin transcription áà or â.
`, '\u{16AF5}': `𖫵
Can be used as an alternative to the ASCII full stop.
`, '\u{002C}': `,
Bassa uses the ASCII comma.
`, '\u{002E}': `.
Bassa uses the ASCII full stop, but may alternatively use 𖫵 U+16AF5 BASSA VAH FULL STOP.
`, '\u{003F}': `?
Bassa uses the ASCII question mark.
`, '\u{201C}': `“
Bassa uses this as an opening quotation mark.
`, '\u{201D}': `”
Bassa uses this as a closing quotation mark.
`, // }