lɪŋɡˈɑːlə ɪz ɐ lˈæŋɡwɪdʒ wˌɪtʃ ɡˈeɪnd ɪts mˈɑːdɚn fˈɔːɹm ɪnðə kəlˈoʊnɪəl pˈiəɹɪəd, wɪððə pˈʊʃ ʌv mˈɪʃənˌɛɹiz tə stˈændɚdˌaɪz ænd tˈiːtʃ ɐ lˈoʊkəl lˈɪŋɡjuːə fɹˈæŋkə.
Lingala is a language which gained its modern form in the colonial period, with the push of missionaries to standardize and teach a local lingua franca.