Maskelynes language
| Maskelynes | |
|---|---|
| Kuliviu, Uliveo | |
| Native to | Vanuatu |
| Region | Malekula |
Native speakers | 1,100 (2001)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | klv |
| Glottolog | mask1242 |
| Maskelynes is not endangered according to the classification system of the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Maskelynes (/ˈmæskəlɪns/ ), or Kuliviu (Uliveo), is an Oceanic language spoken on the Maskelyne Islands off south Malekula, Vanuatu.
Phonology
[edit ]Consonants
[edit ]| Labial | Coronal | Dorsal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| plain | labiovelarized | ||||
| Nasal | m | mw | n | ŋ | |
| Plosive | unvoiced | p | pw | t̪ | k |
| voiced | mb | mbw | nd̪ | ŋg | |
| Fricative | β | βw | s | x ~ɣ ~ʀ | |
| Approximant | w | l | j | ||
| Rhotic | r ~ɾ | ||||
- /mb,nd,ŋg/ are in free variation as unreleased [mb̚,nd̚,ŋg̚] or unvoiced [p,t,k] word-finally or before a consonant[2]
- /ŋg/ is realized as a voiceless [k] among some speakers, especially young[3]
- /p,pw,t/ are unreleased [p̚,p̚,t̚] word-finally or before a consonant (though /p/ has never been recorded before a consonant)[4]
- /mw,pw,mbw,βw/ lose their labialization word-finally when not followed by a vowel and before /o,u/[5]
- /βw/ is [β] before voiced consonants[6]
- /β,βw/ are [ɸ ] before voiceless consonants and word-finally[6]
- /β/ is in free variation with [ɸ] for some speakers[6]
- /w,j/ are vocalic [u,i] when in nucleus following /e,a,o/[7]
Vowels
[edit ]| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u (u̥ ) | |
| Mid | ɛ | ə | o |
| Open | ɑ |
- /i/ is near-close [ɪ] between front consonants[8]
- /ɛ/ is close-mid [e] word-finally[8]
- /ə/ is [ɵ] after labiovelarized consonants or before /xu̥/[8]
- /əj,əw/ are realised as single morphemes, [i,u][7]
- /u/ is realised as front [y] between front consonants, and near-close [ʊ] when proceeded or preceded by back consonants[9]
- /o/ is front [ø] between front consonants[9]
Voiceless vowel
[edit ]A voiceless [u̥] occurs at the ends of words. It is uncertain if it is an allophone of /u/ or a separate phoneme[10]
Phonotactics
[edit ]Possible syllable structures in Maskelynes: (C/S)V(S)(C)[11]
Orthography
[edit ]| Letter | a | b | b̃ | d | e | ǝ | g | h | i | k | l | m | m̃ | n | ŋ | o | p | p̃ | r | s | t | u | w | v | ṽ | w/u | y/i |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPA | ɑ | mb | mbw | nd̪ | ɛ | ə | ŋɡ | x | i | k | l | m | mw | n | ŋ | o | p | pw | r | s | t̪ | u | u̥ | β | βw | w | j |
Grammar
[edit ]Verbs
[edit ]The verbs of Maskelynes are agglutinative, mostly being modified by prefixes, though the stem of a verb can stand on its own. These prefixes encode for, in order of appearance in verb: 1. tense-aspect-modes; 2. subject, person and number; 3. various modes, including realis and irrealis; 4. two tense-modes; 5. reduplication. The object of a sentence is encoded by a suffix.[12]
Examples of verbal agglutination:[13]
sa-g-e-mun-i
PROH-2SG.SUBJ-IRR-drink-3SG.OBJ
sa-g-e-mun-i
PROH-2SG.SUBJ-IRR-drink-3SG.OBJ
Don't you drink it.
go-to-madha-mun-mun-i
2SG.SUBJ-REL-IMM.PST-ITER~drink-3SG.OBJ
go-to-madha-mun-mun-i
2SG.SUBJ-REL-IMM.PST-ITER~drink-3SG.OBJ
You who just now kept drinking it
Reduplication
[edit ]Reduplication in Maskelynes has various usages, and can encode for e.g. plurality, habituality, iterative aspect, etc.[14]
References
[edit ]- ^ Maskelynes at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Healey 2013, pp. 14–15.
- ^ a b c Healey 2013, p. 15.
- ^ Healey 2013, p. 13.
- ^ Healey 2013, p. 19.
- ^ a b c Healey 2013, p. 17.
- ^ a b Healey 2013, pp. 18–19.
- ^ a b c Healey 2013, p. 20.
- ^ a b Healey 2013, p. 21.
- ^ Healey 2013, pp. 24–25.
- ^ Healey 2013, p. 25.
- ^ Healey 2013, Section 8.1: Verb morphology.
- ^ Healey 2013, p. 181.
- ^ Healey 2013, section 8.5: Reduplication.
External links
[edit ]- Resources in and about the Maskelynes language at OLAC
- Paradisec has a number of collections that include Maskelynes language materials
- Maskelynes (Kuliviu) at Omniglot
Bibliography
[edit ]- Healey, David S. (2013). A GRAMMAR OF MASKELYNES: THE LANGUAGE OF ULUVEU ISLAND, VANUATU (PDF) (PhD). University of the South Pacific. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020年05月31日. Retrieved 2020年05月31日.