Babatana language

{{short description|Austronesian language spoken in the Solomon Islands}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Babatana

|altname=East Choiseul

|states=Solomon Islands

|region=

|speakers=7,100

|date=1999

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Austronesian

|fam2=Malayo-Polynesian

|fam3=Oceanic

|fam4=Western

|fam5=Meso-Melanesian

|fam6=Northwest Solomonic

|fam7=Choiseul

|dia1=Sisingga (Sisiqa)

|iso3=baa

|glotto=sout3208

|glottorefname=Southeast Choiseul

}}

Babatana, also spelled Mbambatana, is the principal indigenous language of Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands. Although native to the South Choiseul coastline area between Sepa and the Manggo Bay area, the use of this language has spread across much of Choiseul Island and it is generally understood, much like Solomon Islands Pijin, across the province as a second or third language.

Phonology

The following represents the Sisiqa dialect:

= Consonants =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="2" \| !Bilabial !Alveolar !Post- alveolar !Velar
rowspan="2" \|Plosive !voiceless \|{{IPA link\|p}} \|{{IPA link\|t}} \| \|{{IPA link\|k}}
voiced \|{{IPA link\|b}} \|{{IPA link\|d}} \|{{IPA link\|dʒ}} \|{{IPA link\|ɡ}}
rowspan="2" \|Fricative !voiceless \| \|{{IPA link\|s}} \| \|
voiced \|{{IPA link\|β}} \|{{IPA link\|z}} \| \|{{IPA link\|ɣ}}
colspan="2" \|Nasal \|{{IPA link\|m}} \|{{IPA link\|n}} \| \|{{IPA link\|ŋ}}
colspan="2" \|Trill \| \|{{IPA link\|r}} \| \|
colspan="2" \|Lateral \| \|{{IPA link\|l}} \| \|

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! colspan="2" |

rowspan="2" |Plosive

|{{IPA link|p}}

|{{IPA link|t}}

|{{IPA link|k}}

voiced

|{{IPA link|b}}

|{{IPA link|d}}

|{{IPA link|dʒ}}

|{{IPA link|ɡ}}

rowspan="2" |Fricative

!voiceless

|{{IPA link|s}}

voiced

|{{IPA link|β}}

|{{IPA link|z}}

|{{IPA link|ɣ}}

colspan="2" |Nasal

|{{IPA link|m}}

|{{IPA link|n}}

|{{IPA link|ŋ}}

colspan="2" |Trill

|{{IPA link|r}}

colspan="2" |Lateral

|{{IPA link|l}}

Voiced stops are typically plainly released word-initially, but prenasalized {{IPA|[ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ]}} when intervocalically.
The fricative {{IPA|/z/}} can be heard as an affricate {{IPA|[dz]}} in free variation within word-initial position.

= Vowels =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! !Front !Central !Back
Close \|{{IPA link\|i}} \| rowspan="2" \|{{IPA link\|ə}} \|{{IPA link\|u}}
Mid \|{{IPA link\|e}} \|{{IPA link\|o}}
Open \| \|{{IPA link\|a}} \|

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!Front

!Central

!Back

|{{IPA link|i}}

| rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|ə}}

|{{IPA link|u}}

Mid

|{{IPA link|e}}

|{{IPA link|o}}

Open

|{{IPA link|a}}

The central vowel {{IPA|/ə/}} can vary between three sounds {{IPA|[ə]}}, {{IPA|[ɨ]}} and {{IPA|[ø]}}.{{Cite book|last=Ross|first=Malcolm|title=Sisiqa|publisher=Richmond: Curzon.|year=2002|location=The Oceanic Languages|pages=456–466}}

Simple expressions

'Good morning': {{lang|baa|Marisasa nöe}}
'Good afternoon': {{lang|baa|Kinaka nöe}}
'Good evening': {{lang|baa|Vilu nöe}}
'Good night': {{lang|baa|Kuse nöe}}
'Let's go fishing': {{lang|baa|Me mata la pepeko}}
'How much': {{lang|baa|Ava via}}
'Many': {{lang|baa|Taba}}
'No worries': {{lang|baa|Manöe zirapeta}}
'I'm hungry': {{lang|baa|Ra ko saqo}}
'I'm full': {{lang|baa|Ra ko kuma}}
'Don't eat it': {{lang|baa|Kasi göki tini}}
'I'd like to swim': {{lang|baa|Ra ko sökö ma senge}}
'I'd like to dive': {{lang|baa|Ra ko sökö ma kujulu}}
'I'm going to sleep': {{lang|baa|Ra ma la pamu}}
'Come here': {{lang|baa|Zo me gati}}
'Go away': {{lang|baa|Zo}}
'Bring ... here': {{lang|baa|vame gati...}}
'Take ... away': {{lang|baa|Qisu la ...}}
'Leave it': {{lang|baa|Törö}}
'I like ...': {{lang|baa|Ra ko sökö ...}}
'I see ...': {{lang|baa|Kori ...}}
'I don't see ...': {{lang|baa|Kamariqu ...}}
'It's too hot': {{lang|baa|Sa vila varuka}}
'The sun is too hot': {{lang|baa|Kiku sa vila varuka}}
'Where are you going?': {{lang|baa|Bimolae?}}
'Bad boy': {{lang|baa|So roka}} (usually said in jest with suitable tone)

Commands/verbs

'Go': {{lang|baa|Zola}}
'Come': {{lang|baa|Zome}}
'Quick': {{lang|baa|Dada}}
'Slow': {{lang|baa|Kurki}}
'Easy': {{lang|baa|Samao}}
'Run': {{lang|baa|Jekele}}
'Wait': {{lang|baa|Piri}}
'Jump': {{lang|baa|Soqa}}
'Out': {{lang|baa|Jolo}}
'Shout': {{lang|baa|Vukulu}}
'Tell him': {{lang|baa|Pijoni}}

Numbers

1. {{lang|baa|Köke}}
2. {{lang|baa|Kere}}
3. {{lang|baa|Tulu}}
4. {{lang|baa|Vati}}
5. {{lang|baa|Lima}}
6. {{lang|baa|Vonomo}}
7. {{lang|baa|Vitu}}
8. {{lang|baa|Viu}}
9. {{lang|baa|Zia}}
10. {{lang|baa|Mano}}
20. {{lang|baa|Karabete}}
30. {{lang|baa|Tolo Ngonu}}
40. {{lang|baa|Kereduki}}
50. {{lang|baa|Neqo}}
60. {{lang|baa|Neqo mano}}
70. {{lang|baa|Neqo karabete}}
80. {{lang|baa|Neqo tulungunu}}
90. {{lang|baa|Neqo kereduki}}
100. {{lang|baa|Köke vubi}}
1000. {{lang|baa|Köke Mau}}

Other vocabulary

'Food': {{lang|baa|Gaki}}
'Garden': {{lang|baa|Baroe}}
'Cassava': {{lang|baa|Tovioko}}
'Pineapple': {{lang|baa|Kanapu}}
'Sweet potato': {{lang|baa|Sisu}}
'Taro': {{lang|baa|Tika}}
'Yam': {{lang|baa|Noba}}
'Pumpkin': {{lang|baa|Duru}}
'Corn': {{lang|baa|Lezu}}
'Banana': {{lang|baa|Siku}}
'Ripe': {{lang|baa|Musu}}
'Betelnut': {{lang|baa|Kasu}}
'Sour/bitter': {{lang|baa|Paza}}
'It smells': {{lang|baa|Sanabu}}
'Bad smell': {{lang|baa|Nabusasa}}
'Fish': {{lang|baa|Koete}}
'Shark': {{lang|baa|Bursa}}
'Bonito': {{lang|baa|Reka}}
'Crocodile': {{lang|baa|Poku}}
'Kingfish': {{lang|baa|Tangere}}
'Barracuda': {{lang|baa|Ghalu}}
'Marlin': {{lang|baa|Viruviru}}
'Fishing line': {{lang|baa|Tali}}
'Hook': {{lang|baa|Jopa pipiko}}
'Bait': {{lang|baa|Mamutu}}
'Reef': {{lang|baa|Pedaka}}
'Dive': {{lang|baa|Kojulu}}
'Coral': {{lang|baa|Laji}}
'Sea cucumber': {{lang|baa|Bu}}
'Clam shell': {{lang|baa|Meka}}
'Shell': {{lang|baa|Banga}}
'River': {{lang|baa|Vuru}}
'Rain': {{lang|baa|Murga}}
'Wind': {{lang|baa|Vovosele}}
'Cyclone': {{lang|baa|Sokoro}}
'Sea': {{lang|baa|Masi}}
'Fresh water': {{lang|baa|Bi}}
'Island': {{lang|baa|Nunu}}
'Mountain': {{lang|baa|Supu}}
'Sand beach': {{lang|baa|Korokone}}
'Sky': {{lang|baa|Mamalurkana}}
'Cloud': {{lang|baa|Toki}}
'Sun': {{lang|baa|Ngada}}
'Star': {{lang|baa|Siriputu}}
'Moon': {{lang|baa|Ukene}}
'Canoe': {{lang|baa|Mola}}
'Paddle': {{lang|baa|Kapo}}
'House': {{lang|baa|Toke/pande}}
'Ladder': {{lang|baa|Tokatoka}}
'Kitchen': {{lang|baa|Pande kuki}}
'Cooking pot': {{lang|baa|Sireke}}
'Door': {{lang|baa|Patagamana}}
'Window': {{lang|baa|Vuida}}
'Sleep': {{lang|baa|Pam}}
'Mosquito': {{lang|baa|Zizima}}

Customary terms

'Creep'{{clarify|date=February 2023}}: {{lang|baa|Gara}}

Colourful words

'Masturbation': {{lang|baa|Sovisovi}}
'Excrement': {{lang|baa|Te}}
'Vagina': {{lang|baa|Kede}}
'Penis': {{lang|baa|Veje}}
'Anus': {{lang|baa|Kodolo}}
'Mucus': {{lang|baa|Momo}}

References

External links

[https://abvd.shh.mpg.de/austronesian/language.php?id=536 Babatana wordlist] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813204834/https://abvd.shh.mpg.de/austronesian/language.php?id=536 |date=2018-08-13 }}

Category:Languages of the Solomon Islands

Category:Northwest Solomonic languages