Awa language (Papua New Guinea)

Awa is a Kainantu language of Papua New Guinea.

Awa
Native toPapua New Guinea
RegionEastern Highlands Province
Native speakers
2,100 (2003)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3awb
Glottologawap1236

Phonology

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Consonants

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Consonant phonemes
Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n
Stop p b t k g ʔ
Affricate t̪s
Approximant j w
Trill r

Vowels

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Front Central Back
High i u
Mid e ə o
Low æ ɑ

Allophones

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  • /p/, /t/, and /k/ are [β], [ɾ], and [ɣ] intervocalically after mid and back vowels
  • /r/ is [d] following the vowel [i], and [r] elsewhere
  • /t̪s/ is voiced [d̪z] after a nasal consonant
  • /j/ may be pronounced [z]

Phonotactics

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  • Syllables follow the structure (C)V(C)
  • The phonemes /b/, /g/, /r/, and /j/ do not occur word initially
  • /ʔ/ is the only consonant occurring word finally

Tone

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  • Awa has the high, low, rising, and falling tonemes

References

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  1. ^ Awa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)