Alekano language

Alekano
Alekano
Gahuku
Native to	Papua New Guinea
Region	Gahuku Rural LLG, Goroka District, Eastern Highlands Province
Native speakers	(25,000 cited 1999)
Language family	Trans–New Guinea Kainantu–Goroka Goroka Gahuku Alekano; ; ; ;
Writing system	Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3	gah
Glottolog	alek1238
ELP	Alekano
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Alekano, or Gahuku (Gahuku-Gama), is a Papuan language spoken in Gahuku Rural LLG of Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. There are about 25,000 speakers.^[2]

Alekano is also known as Gahuku, after the name of the largest clan of speakers, or Gama, after the second largest clan. Calling the language by these names has been rejected by speakers who are not members of these clans, and Alekano has been largely adopted as the official name. The latter name means "bring it". In two closely related languages spoken directly to the northwest, Tokano and Dano, it has the same meaning.^[3]^[4]

Phonology

Alekano has 5 vowels, all unrounded, which is exceptional. It has 12 consonants, but /w/ is found only in the village Wanima, in derivations or in pidgin loanwords.^[5]

Vowels

	Front	Back
High	i	ɯ
Mid	e	ɤ
Low		ɑ

Glottal coda

In Alekano, a syllable may be closed only with a glottal stop, as in /ɑʔnesiʔ/ "enough". That is currently not treated as a consonant, but it is unclear if words written as vowel initial begin with a glottal stop. It is written as an acute accent in the orthography, for example, ánesí.^[4]

Consonants

		Bilabial	Alveolar	Velar	Glottal
Nasal		m	n
Plosive		p	t	k
Approximant		β	l~ɽ	ɣ	h
Sibilant	voiceless		s
Sibilant	voiced		z

The lateral is [l] initially and [ɽ] between vowels.

Syllables

The most complex syllables are of the form /CVVʔ/: VV may be a diphthong of /ɑ/, /e/, or /ɤ/ followed by /i/ or /ɯ/, or of /iɯ/. Other vowels may also occur in sequence (hiatus).

Tone

Alekano has low and high tones but with a very low functional load. HL receives strong stress, LH lesser stress.

Grammar

Alekano is a subject–object–verb (SOV) language.^[6]

Orthography

Alekano uses the Latin script.^[5]

IPA	ɑ	e	ɣ	h	i	k	l	m	n	ɤ	p	s	z	t	ɯ	β
Letter	Aa	Ee	Gg	Hh	Ii	Kk	Ll	Mm	Nn	Oo	Pp	Ss	Zz	Tt	Uu	Vv

References

^ Alekano at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
^ Ethnologue report for Alekano
^ Deibler, Ellis W. 1987. "The function of glottal stop in Gahuku." In John M. Clifton (ed.), Studies in Melanesian orthographies, 23-30. Data Papers on Papua New Guinea Languages, 33. Ukarumpa: Summer Institute of Linguistics. [1]
^ ^a ^b Deibler, Ellis W., compiler. Available: 2008; Created: 2008. Dictionaries of Alekano - English and English - Alekano. [Manuscript] iii, 311 p. [2]
^ ^a ^b 1992. Alekano Organised Phonology Data. [Manuscript] [3]
^ http://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_gah

External links

Alekano dictionary
An open access archive of Alekano audio and video are available through the Kaipuleohone.

[e18-1] Alekano at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[2] Ethnologue report for Alekano

[3] Deibler, Ellis W. 1987. "The function of glottal stop in Gahuku." In John M. Clifton (ed.), Studies in Melanesian orthographies, 23-30. Data Papers on Papua New Guinea Languages, 33. Ukarumpa: Summer Institute of Linguistics. [1]

[Dictionary-4] Deibler, Ellis W., compiler. Available: 2008; Created: 2008. Dictionaries of Alekano - English and English - Alekano. [Manuscript] iii, 311 p. [2]

[Phonemes-5] 1992. Alekano Organised Phonology Data. [Manuscript] [3]

[6] ttp://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_gah

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