Kuman language (New Guinea) (original) (raw)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trans–New Guinea language spoken in Papua New Guinea
Kuman | |
---|---|
Native to | Papua New Guinea |
Region | Chimbu 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 family | Trans–New Guinea Chimbu–WahgiChimbuKuman |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | kue |
Glottolog | kuma1280 |
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]
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).
| | 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]
| | 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 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]
Kuman is an SOV language.
[](/wiki/File:Wiki%5Fletter%5Fw%5Fcropped.svg) | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2009) |
---|
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 |
- Hardie, Peter. 2003. Is Kuman Tonal? An account of basic segmental and tonological structure in the Papuan language Kuman. MA thesis: Australian National University
- Dryer, Matthew S.; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Kuman". World Atlas of Language Structures Online. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
- Kuman phonology and sample text
- Kaipuleohone has a Chimbu-Wahgi collection from Andrea L. Berez that includes Kuman language materials
- A number of collections in Paradisec include Kuman materials