The Waima language (sometimes known as Roro, though this is strictly the name of one dialect of Waima) is a Nuclear West Central Papuan Tip language of the Oceanic group of Malayo-Polynesian languages, spoken in Papua New Guinea by 15,000 people. The three dialects, Waima, Roro, and Paitana, are very close.[2]
Waima | |
---|---|
Region | Eastern New Guinea |
Native speakers | 15,000 (2000 census)[1] |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | rro |
Glottolog | waim1251 |
Phonology
editConsonants
editLabial | Alveolar | Velar | Glottal | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nasal | m | n | ||
Plosive | p | t tʲ | k | ʔ |
Fricative | β | h | ||
Rhotic | ɾ | |||
Approximant | w |
/n/ can be palatalized as [ɲ] when before vowel sequences /ao, au/.[3]
Vowels
editFront | Central | Back | |
---|---|---|---|
High | i | u | |
Mid | e | o | |
Low | a |
References
editExternal links
edit