Jump to content

Nemi language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Womtelo (talk | contribs) at 18:03, 8 July 2020 (adding major reference). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Nemi
Native toHienghène, New Caledonia
Native speakers
910 (2009 census)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3nem
Glottolognemi1240
ELPNemi

The Nemi language is a Kanak language spoken by 320 people in the north of New Caledonia, in the commune of Hienghène.

Sample audio of spoken Nemi (intro and last part are French)





Phonology

Nemi features labiovelarized plosives and voiceless nasals.[2]

Consonants Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Bilabial Labiovelar
Stops Tenuis p pʷˠ t c k
Aspirated pʷˠʰ
Nasalized Stops Prenasalized ᵐp ᵐpʷˠ ⁿt ᶮc ᵑk
Postnasalized pᵐ pʷˠᵐ tⁿ cᶮ kᵑ
Nasals Voiced m mʷˠ n ɲ ŋ
Voiceless m̥ʷˠ ɲ̥ ŋ̥
Continuants Voiced v w (l) j h
Voiceless f
Nasal w̃ w̥̃

Vowels in Nemi have a two way length distinction.

Vowels Front Middle Back
High i u
Middle e o
Low a

References

  1. ^ Nemi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Rivierre, Françoise. 1975. Phonologie du némi (Nouvelle-Calédonie) et notes sur les consonnes postnasalisées. Bulletin de la Société de Linguistique de Paris 70. 345-356.

Bibliography

  • Haudricourt, André-Georges; Ozanne-Rivierre, Françoise (1982). Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (Nouvelle-Calédonie) : pije, fwâi, nemi, jawe. Précédé d'une phonologie comparée des langues de Hienghène et du proto-océanien. Paris: Société d'Etudes Linguistiques et Anthropologiques de France. p. 285. ISBN 978-2852971349.