Editing Lingala (section)

===Tones===
Lingala is a [[tonal language]]. Tone is a distinguishing feature in [[minimal pair]]s, e.g.: ''mutu'' (human being) and ''mutú'' (head), or kokoma (to write) and kokóma (to arrive). There are two main tones, low and high, and two less common ones: starting high, dipping low, and ending high, all within the same vowel sound, e.g., ''mǐso'' (eyes); and starting low, rising high, and ending low, e.g., ''bôngó'' (therefore).

====Tonal morphology====
Tense [[morphemes]] carry tones.

{| {{table}}
!colspan=2|
! ''koma'' {{ns}} kom<sup>L</sup>-a <br> write
! ''sepela'' {{ns}} se<sup>L</sup>pel-a <br> enjoy
|-
! [[simple present]]
! {{nobold|<sup>L</sup>-a<sup>L</sup>}}
| ''nakoma'' {{ns}} na<sup>L</sup>-kom<sup>L</sup>-a<sup>L</sup> <br> I write
| ''osepela'' {{ns}} o<sup>L</sup>-se<sup>L</sup>pel<sup>L</sup>-a<sup>L</sup> <br> you-{{gcl|SG}} enjoy
|-
! [[subjunctive]]
! {{nobold|<sup>H</sup>-a<sup>L</sup>}}
| ''nákoma'' {{ns}} na<sup>H</sup>-kom<sup>L</sup>-a<sup>L</sup> <br> I would write
| ''ósepéla'' {{ns}} o<sup>H</sup>-se<sup>L</sup>pel<sup>H</sup>-a<sup>H</sup> <br> you-{{gcl|SG}} would enjoy
|-
! [[present tense|present]]
! {{nobold|<sup>L</sup>-i<sup>H</sup>}}
| ''nakomí'' {{ns}} na<sup>L</sup>-kom<sup>L</sup>-i<sup>H</sup> <br> I have been writing
| ''osepelí'' {{ns}} o<sup>L</sup>-se<sup>L</sup>pel<sup>L</sup>-i<sup>H</sup> <br> you-{{gcl|SG}} have been enjoying
|}