Kuman language (New Guinea)
{{Short description|Trans–New Guinea language spoken in Papua New Guinea}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Kuman
|nativename=
|states=Papua New Guinea
|region=Chimbu Province, from Kundiawa to beyond Kerowagi in the west and Gembogl in the north, at the foot of Mount Wilhelm
|speakers={{sigfig|115,000|2}}
|date=2000 census
|ref=e25
|familycolor=Papuan
|fam1=Trans–New Guinea
|fam2=Chimbu–Wahgi
|fam3=Chimbu
|iso3=kue
|glotto=kuma1280
|glottorefname=Kuman
}}
Kuman (also Chimbu or Simbu) is a language of Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea. In 1994, it was estimated that 80,000 people spoke Kuman, 10,000 of them monolinguals;{{e15|kue}} in the 2000 census, 115,000 were reported, with few monolinguals. Ethnologue also reported 70,000 second language speakers in 2021.
Phonology
Like other Chimbu languages, Kuman has rather unusual lateral consonants. Besides the typical {{IPA|/l/}}, it has a "laterally released velar affricate" which is voiced medially and voiceless finally (and does not occur initially).Foley, 1986:63, The Papuan languages of New Guinea Based on related languages, this is presumably {{IPA|/k͡𝼄/}}, allophonically {{IPA|[ɡ͡ʟ̝]}} (see voiceless velar lateral fricative).
= Consonants =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" | |
| rowspan="2" |Plosive
!voiceless |{{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|t}} | |{{IPA link|k}} |
|---|
| prenasal/vd.
|{{IPA link|ᵐb}} ~ {{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|ⁿd}} ~ {{IPA link|d}} | |{{IPA link|ᵑɡ}} ~ {{IPA link|g}} |
| colspan="2" |Nasal
|{{IPA link|m}} |{{IPA link|n}} | | |
| colspan="2" |Fricative
| |{{IPA link|s}} | | |
| colspan="2" |Tap
| |{{IPA link|ɾ}} | | |
| colspan="2" |Lateral
| |{{IPA link|l}} | |{{IPA link|ʟ}} |
| colspan="2" |Semivowel
|{{IPA link|w}} | |{{IPA link|j}} | |
- Voiced plosives are usually prenasal, but may fluctuate in word-initial position as ordinary voiced stops {{IPA|[b, d, ɡ]}}.
- Voiceless stops {{IPA|/p, t, k/}} are always aspirated {{IPA|[pʰ, tʰ, kʰ]}} in word-initial position.
- {{IPA|/ɾ/}} only occurs word-medially and word-finally. In word-final position it is heard as a trill {{IPAblink|r}}.
- {{IPA|/s/}} can be pronounced as {{IPAblink|s}}, {{IPAblink|ᵗs}} in word-initial position.
- {{IPA|/w/}} can be pronounced as {{IPAblink|β}} before front vowels {{IPA|/i, e/}}.
- {{IPA|/ʟ/}} is heard as voiceless {{IPAblink|ʟ̥}} or fricative {{IPAblink|𝼄}}, when preceding a consonant. It is heard as a voiced fricative {{IPAblink|ʟ̝}} when between vowels. It is also heard as an alveolar fricative {{IPAblink|ɬ}} before an /s/.{{Cite book|last=Pfantz|first=Daryl & Mary|title=Kuman Language [Simbu Province]|publisher=SIL|year=2004|location=Organized Phonological Data}}{{Cite book|last=Piau|first=Julie A.|title=Verbal Syntax of Kuman.|publisher=Australian National University: Canberra.|year=1985}}
= Vowels =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! !Back |
| High
|{{IPAlink|i}} | |{{IPAlink|u}} |
|---|
| Mid
|{{IPAlink|e}} | |{{IPAlink|o}} |
| Low
| |colspan="2"|{{IPAlink|a}} |
- /a/ can be heard as either central {{IPAblink|ä}} or back {{IPAblink|ɑ}} in free variation.
- /e/ is pronounced as {{IPAblink|ɛ}} as a first vowel in a word.
- /o/ is pronounced in its lax form as {{IPAblink|ɔ}} before /ɾ/.
=Syllable patterns=
Grammar
Kuman is an SOV language.
{{Expand section|date=December 2009}}
Vocabulary
The following basic vocabulary words are from Salisbury (1956)Salisbury, R.F. 1956. The Siane Language of the Eastern Highlands of New Guinea. Anthropos 51:447-480. and Trefry (1969),{{Cite book| title = A comparative study of Kuman and Pawaian| last=Trefry |first=D | year=1969|publisher=ANU Asia-Pacific Linguistics / Pacific Linguistics Press|location=Canberra |hdl=1885/146470}} as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:{{Cite web |url=http://transnewguinea.org/language/kuman |title=TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea |last=Greenhill |first=Simon |date=2016 |access-date=2020-11-05}}
:
| class="wikitable sortable"
! gloss !! Kuman |
| head
| bit-na; bɩtiɩno |
|---|
| hair
| iŋguno; yungo |
| ear
| kina-na; kunano |
| eye
| gumutino; ongomit-na |
| nose
| guma-ne; gumano |
| tooth
| siŋguno |
| tongue
| dirambino |
| leg
| kati; kat-na |
| louse
| numan |
| dog
| aʝg; agi; akɬ ̥ |
| pig
| bogla; bugɬa |
| bird
| kua |
| egg
| mugɬo; muɬo |
| blood
| borɔmai; bořumai; maiam |
| bone
| yambiřo; yombura |
| skin
| gaŋgino |
| breast
| amu-na; amuno |
| tree
| endi |
| man
| yagl; yakɬ ̥ |
| woman
| ambu |
| sun
| ande; andesuŋgua |
| moon
| ba |
| water
| nigl; nikɬ ̥ |
| fire
| baugl; doŋga |
| stone
| kombuglo; kombugɬo |
| road, path
| konbo; konumbo |
| name
| kaŋgin; kangi-ne |
| eat
| neuŋgua |
| one
| suařa |
| two
| suo |
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- Hardie, Peter. 2003. Is Kuman Tonal? An account of basic segmental and tonological structure in the Papuan language Kuman. MA thesis: Australian National University
- {{WALS|kmn|Kuman}}
External links
- [http://www-01.sil.org/pacific/png/pubs/928474523654/2_Kuman.pdf Kuman phonology and sample text]
- Kaipuleohone has a Chimbu-Wahgi collection from Andrea L. Berez that [https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/29514 includes Kuman language materials]
- A number of collections in Paradisec include [http://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/search?language_code=kue Kuman materials]
{{Languages of Papua New Guinea}}
{{Chimbu–Wahgi languages}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Languages of Simbu Province
Category:Languages of Eastern Highlands Province