Kwomtari language

Kwomtari
Native toPapua New Guinea
Native speakers
(600 cited 1998)[1]
Senu River
  • Kwomtari–Nai
    • Kwomtari
Language codes
ISO 639-3kwo
Glottolognucl1593
ELPKwomtari
Coordinates: 3°35′46″S 141°21′42″E / 3.596084°S 141.361577°E / -3.596084; 141.361577 (Kwomtari)

Kwomtari is the eponymous language of the Kwomtari family of Papua New Guinea.

Spencer (2008) is a short grammar of Kwomtari. The language has an SOV[clarification needed] constituent order and nominative–accusative alignment. Both subjects and objects are marked suffixally on the verb. Verbs are inflected for status (mood) rather than for tense or aspect.[2]

Locations

Ethnologue lists Kwomtari as spoken in six villages in Komtari (Kwomtari) ward (3°35′46″S 141°21′42″E / 3.596084°S 141.361577°E / -3.596084; 141.361577 (Kwomtari)), Amanab Rural LLG, Sandaun Province.[3][4]

Baron (2007) lists Kwomtari-speaking villages as Mango, Kwomtari, Baiberi, Yenabi, Yau'uri, and Wagroni.[5]

Phonology

Consonant phonemes of Kwontari[6]
Bilabial Alveolar Retroflex Velar
Plosive p b t k ɡ
Nasal m n
Fricative ɸ s
Trill ʙ[7] r
Lateral ɭ

The phoneme /ɸ/ is realized as a voiced bilabial fricative [β] intervocalically and voiceless bilabial fricative [ɸ] elsewhere. The realization of the phoneme /ɭ/ is in free variation between a voiced retroflex lateral [ɭ] and a voiced retroflex stop [ɖ].

Vowel phonemes of Kwontari[8]
  Front Central Back
Close i u
Lowered Close i̞ u̞
Mid ə
Open-Mid ɛ ɔ
Open a

The unusual vowel phonemes /i̞/ and /u̞/ are of intermediate height between cardinal [i]/[u] and [e]/[o] respectively but without the centralization present in [ɪ] and [ʊ]. They have also been attested in Weri, a Goilalan language of south-east Papua, and certain Dani dialects.[9]

References

  1. ^ Kwomtari at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Spencer, Katharine (2008). "Kwomtari grammar essentials". In Murray Honsberger, Carol Honsberger and Ian Tupper (ed.). Kwomtari phonology and grammar essentials. Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea: SIL-PNG Academic Publications. pp. 53–180. ISBN 978-9980-0-3426-7.
  3. ^ Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2019). "Papua New Guinea languages". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (22nd ed.). Dallas: SIL International.
  4. ^ United Nations in Papua New Guinea (2018). "Papua New Guinea Village Coordinates Lookup". Humanitarian Data Exchange. 1.31.9.
  5. ^ Baron, Wietze (October 2007). "The Kwomtari Phylum". Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  6. ^ Drew, Julia (1998). "Kwontari Phonology Essentials". In Murray Honsberger, Carol Honsberger and Ian Tupper. Kwomtari phonology and grammar essentials. Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea: SIL-PNG Academic Publications. ISBN 9980-0-3426-2.
  7. ^ Foley, William A. (2018). "The Languages of the Sepik-Ramu Basin and Environs". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 197–432. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
  8. ^ Drew (1998).
  9. ^ Foley (1986:54)