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Nanggu language

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(Redirected from Engdewu language)
Engdewu
Nanggu
Native toSolomon Islands
RegionNendo Island
Native speakers
(210 cited 1999)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3ngr
Glottolognang1262
ELPNagu
Coordinates: 10°44′S 165°53′E / 10.733°S 165.883°E / -10.733; 165.883

Engdewu, also known as Nanggu or Nagu, is one of two Reefs – Santa Cruz languages spoken on Nendö Island (the other is Santa Cruz).

Names

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The language used to be known by outsiders as Nanggu (IPA: [naᵑɡu]), from the name of one of the villages where it is still spoken. This name is also spelled Nangu or Nagu.

The local population prefers to name the language Engdewu, after the name of the ancient village where it was initially spoken.[2][3] This name has now been adopted by linguists.[1]

Grammar

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A description of the language was produced in 2013 by linguist Anders Vaa.[4]

Phonology

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Consonants

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Nanggu has 14 phonemic consonants.[5]

Labial Alveolar Alveolo-
palatal
Palatal Velar
Plosive Voiceless p t k
Voiced b d g
Fricative β s
Nasal m n ŋ
Approximant w l j

Vaa (2013) consistently uses /s/ and [s], which he describes as "lamino-palatoalveolar."[6]

Vowels

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Nanggu has ten phonemic vowels.[5]

Front Central Back
Close i ʉ u
Close-mid e ɵ
Open-Mid ɛ ɞ ɔ
Open a ɒ

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Engdewu at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ "Request for Change to ISO 639-3 Language Code" (PDF). SIL. 2011-08-29.
  3. ^ Boerger et al. 2012, p. 130.
  4. ^ Vaa 2013.
  5. ^ a b Vaa 2013, p. 70.
  6. ^ Vaa 2013, p. 82.

References

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