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Korowai language

Summary

Korowai (Kolufaup) is a Trans-New-Guinean language spoken in South Papua, Indonesia. It is spoken by the Korowai people who live along the Becking River.

Korowai
Kolufaup
RegionBecking River, South Papua, Indonesia
EthnicityKorowai
Native speakers
3,500 (2007)[1]
Trans-New Guinea
Language codes
ISO 639-3khe
Glottologkoro1312
ELPKorowai

Phonology edit

Consonants[2]
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar
Plosive p b t d ɟ ⟨j⟩ k g
Prenasalized ᵐb ⟨mb⟩ ⁿd ⟨nd⟩ ᵑg ⟨ngg⟩
Fricative ɸ ⟨f⟩ s x ⟨kh⟩
Nasal m n
Approximant w l j ⟨y⟩, ɥ ⟨hü⟩
  • /b/ and /d/ are in free variation with [ɓ] and [ɗ] respectively.
  • /ɸ x/ can be voiced [β ɣ] intervocalically.
Vowels[2]
Front Central Back
High i y ⟨ü⟩ u
Mid-high e ⟨é⟩ (ə ⟨e⟩)
Mid-low ɛ ⟨è⟩ ɔ ⟨o⟩
Low a
  • /e/ can be heard as [ɪ] in unstressed syllables.
  • /a/ can vary to [æ] in stressed syllables.
  • /ɔ/ is pronounced [o] before /w/.
  • All vowels are lengthened in stressed syllables and word-finally.
  • /ə/ is epenthetic and is never in stressed syllables.

Stress is unpredictable and phonemic.[2]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Korowai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b c de Vries, Lourens; van Enk, Gerrit J. (1997). The Korowai of Irian Jaya: Their Language and its Cultural Context. Oxford Studies in Anthropological Linguistics. Vol. 9. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195105513.

References edit

  • Hughes, Jock. 2009. Upper Digul Survey. SIL International.