Mufian language
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Mufian | |
---|---|
Southern Arapesh | |
Native to | Papua New Guinea |
Region | East Sepik Province |
Native speakers
|
unknown (11,000 cited 1998)[1] |
Torricelli
|
|
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | aoj |
Glottolog | mufi1238 [2] |
Mufian (Muhian, Muhiang), or Southern Arapesh, is an Arapesh language (Torricelli) of Papua New Guinea. Dialects are Supari, Balif, Filifita (Ilahita), Iwam-Nagalemb, Nagipaem; Filifita speakers are half the population, at 6,000 in 1999.[1]
Noun classes
There are 17 classes for count nouns in Mufian, plus two extra classes, i.e. proper names and place names. Noun classes are expressed in noun suffixes, adjective suffixes, and verb prefixes.
Some examples of Mufian noun classes:
Class | Example | Sg. Noun Suffix | Sg. Adjective Suffix | Sg. Verb Prefix | Pl. Noun Suffix | Pl. Adjective Suffix | Pl. Verb Prefix |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class 1 | bol (sg.), bongof (pl.), pig | -l | -li | l- | -ngof | -ngufi | f- |
Class 2 | éngel (sg.), angof (pl.), name | -ngél | -ngili | g- | -ngof | -ngufi | f- |
Class 3 | nalof (sg.), nalelef (pl,), tooth | -f | -fi | f- | -lef | -lefi | f- |
Class 4 | lowaf (sg.), lu'ongof (pl.), clothes | -f | -fi | f- | -nguf | -fi | f- |
Class 5 | batéwin (sg.), batéwis (pl.), child | -n | -ni | n- | -s | -si | s- |
Class 6 | alupini (sg.), alupisi (pl.), friend | -ni | -ni | n- | -si | -si | s- |
Class 7 | nombat (sg.), nombangw (pl.), dog | -t, -ta | -tei | t- | -ngw | -ngwi | gw- |
Class 8 | nemata'w (sg.), nematawa (pl.), woman | -'w | -kwi | kw- | -wa | -wei | w- |
Class 9 | nam (sg.), naep (pl), eye | -m | -mi | m- | -p | -pi | p- |
Class 10 | lawang (sg.), lawah (pl.), tree | -g, -ga | -gwei | g- | -h | -ngéhi | h- |
Class 11 | bemb (sg.), bembeh (pl.), betel nut | -b | -mbi | b- | -h | -mbihi | h- |
Class 12 | nongwatop (sg.), nongwatoh (pl.), knife | -p | -pi | p- | -h | -hi | h- |
Class 13 | wambel (sg.), walemb (pl.), village | -mbel | -mbili | b- | -lemb | -lembi | b- |
Class 14 | mai'una (sg.), ma'unamb (pl.), pigeon | -a | -ni | n- | -amb | -mbi | b- |
Class 15 | usin (sg.), usimb (pl.), crested pigeon | -n | -ni | n- | -b | -mbi | b- |
Class 16 | aman (sg.), amam (pl.), man | -n | -nei | n- | -m | -mi | m- |
Class 17 | kos (sg.), kos (pl.), course | -s | -si | s- | -s | -si | s- |
There are a few irregularities in these noun classes.[3]
Sound System
Labial | Alveolar | Velar | Glottal | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
labialized | plain | labialized | plain | |||
Nasal | m | n | ||||
Stop | p b | t d | kʷ ɡʷ | k ɡ | ʔʷ | ʔ |
Fricative | f | s | h | |||
Approximant | w | l |
Front | Central | Back | |
---|---|---|---|
High | i | u | |
Mid | e | ə | o |
Low | æ | a |
References
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