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Waima language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Waima
RegionEastern New Guinea
Native speakers
15,000 (2000 census)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3rro
Glottologwaim1251

The Waima language (sometimes known as Roro, though this is strictly the name of one dialect of Waima) is a Nuclear West Central Papuan Tip language of the Oceanic group of Malayo-Polynesian languages, spoken in Papua New Guinea by 15,000 people. The three dialects, Waima, Roro, and Paitana, are very close.[2]

Phonology

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Consonants

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Labial Alveolar Velar Glottal
Nasal m n
Plosive p t k ʔ
Fricative β h
Rhotic ɾ
Approximant w

/n/ can be palatalized as [ɲ] when before vowel sequences /ao, au/.[3]

Vowels

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Front Central Back
High i u
Mid e o
Low a

References

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  1. ^ Waima at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ "Waima".
  3. ^ Kim, Namsoo & Duckshin (1998). Waima grammar essentials. Ukarumpa: SIL.
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