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Benabena language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benabena
Native toPapua New Guinea
RegionGoroka District, Eastern Highlands Province
Native speakers
45,000 (2000 census)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3bef
Glottologbena1264

Benabena (Bena) is a Papuan language spoken in the Goroka District of Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.

Phonology

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Vowels

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Front Back
Close i u
Mid e o
Open a
  • Vowel sounds /i, e, a, o, u/ can also be heard as [ɪ, ɛ, ʌ, ɔ, ʊ] in word-initial or word-medial positions.

Consonants

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Bilabial Labio-
dental
Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n
Stop p t k ʔ
Fricative β f s ʝ ɣ h
Approximant ɭ
  • /p, t, k/ can be heard as aspirated [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ] in syllable-initial position, and can be heard as unreleased as [p̚, t̚, k̚] when preceding a consonant.
  • /β/ can be heard as a stop [b] in word-initial position, and also may rarely fluctuate with a glide [w].
  • /ʝ/ can be heard as a glide [j] in stressed syllable word-initial position and can be heard as [z] in word-initial unstressed syllable position.
  • /s/ can be heard as [ʃ] before high vowels /i, u/.
  • /ɣ/ can be heard as [ɡ] in free variation among speakers.
  • /ɭ/ can be heard as a tap [ɽ] in free variation.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Benabena at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ^ Young, Rosemary & Robert (1961). The phonemes of Bena-Bena (a routine statement).
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