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Kuman language (New Guinea)

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Kuman (also Chimbu or Simbu) is a language of Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea. In 1994, it was estimated that 80,000 people spoke Kuman, 10,000 of them monolinguals;[2] in the 2000 census, 115,000 were reported, with few monolinguals.[1] Ethnologue also reported 70,000 second language speakers in 2021.[1]

Kuman
Native toPapua New Guinea
RegionChimbu Province, from Kundiawa to beyond Kerowagi in the west and Gembogl in the north, at the foot of Mount Wilhelm
Native speakers
120,000 (2000 census)[1]
L2: 70,000 (2021)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3kue
Glottologkuma1280

Phonology

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Like other Chimbu languages, Kuman has rather unusual lateral consonants. Besides the typical /l/, it has a "laterally released velar affricate" which is voiced medially and voiceless finally (and does not occur initially).[3] Based on related languages, this is presumably /k͡𝼄/, allophonically [ɡ͡ʟ̝] (see voiceless velar lateral fricative).

Consonants

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Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar
Plosive voiceless p t k
prenasal/vd. ᵐb ~ b ⁿd ~ d ᵑɡ ~ g
Nasal m n
Fricative s
Tap ɾ
Lateral l ʟ
Semivowel w j
  • Voiced plosives are usually prenasal, but may fluctuate in word-initial position as ordinary voiced stops [b, d, ɡ].
  • Voiceless stops /p, t, k/ are always aspirated [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ] in word-initial position.
  • /ɾ/ only occurs word-medially and word-finally. In word-final position it is heard as a trill [r].
  • /s/ can be pronounced as [s], [ᵗs] in word-initial position.
  • /w/ can be pronounced as [β] before front vowels /i, e/.
  • /ʟ/ is heard as voiceless [ʟ̥] or fricative [𝼄], when preceding a consonant. It is heard as a voiced fricative [ʟ̝] when between vowels. It is also heard as an alveolar fricative [ɬ] before an /s/.[4][5]

Vowels

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Front Central Back
High i u
Mid e o
Low a
  • /a/ can be heard as either central [ä] or back [ɑ] in free variation.
  • /e/ is pronounced as [ɛ] as a first vowel in a word.
  • /o/ is pronounced in its lax form as [ɔ] before /ɾ/.

Syllable patterns

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Syllable structure is (C)V(C). Any consonant can occur in onset position, but in coda position only /m/, /n/, /gɬ/, /l/ and /k/ can occur.[6]

Grammar

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Kuman is an SOV language.

Vocabulary

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The following basic vocabulary words are from Salisbury (1956)[7] and Trefry (1969),[6] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:[8]

gloss Kuman
head bit-na; bɩtiɩno
hair iŋguno; yungo
ear kina-na; kunano
eye gumutino; ongomit-na
nose guma-ne; gumano
tooth siŋguno
tongue dirambino
leg kati; kat-na
louse numan
dog aʝg; agi; akɬ ̥
pig bogla; bugɬa
bird kua
egg mugɬo; muɬo
blood borɔmai; bořumai; maiam
bone yambiřo; yombura
skin gaŋgino
breast amu-na; amuno
tree endi
man yagl; yakɬ ̥
woman ambu
sun ande; andesuŋgua
moon ba
water nigl; nikɬ ̥
fire baugl; doŋga
stone kombuglo; kombugɬo
road, path konbo; konumbo
name kaŋgin; kangi-ne
eat neuŋgua
one suařa
two suo

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Kuman at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)  
  2. ^ Kuman language (New Guinea) at Ethnologue (15th ed., 2005)  
  3. ^ Foley, 1986:63, The Papuan languages of New Guinea
  4. ^ Pfantz, Daryl & Mary (2004). Kuman Language [Simbu Province]. Organized Phonological Data: SIL.
  5. ^ Piau, Julie A. (1985). Verbal Syntax of Kuman. Australian National University: Canberra.
  6. ^ a b Trefry, D (1969). A comparative study of Kuman and Pawaian. Canberra: ANU Asia-Pacific Linguistics / Pacific Linguistics Press. hdl:1885/146470.
  7. ^ Salisbury, R.F. 1956. The Siane Language of the Eastern Highlands of New Guinea. Anthropos 51:447-480.
  8. ^ Greenhill, Simon (2016). "TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea". Retrieved 2020-11-05.

Further reading

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