Mali language
{{Short description|Language spoken in Papua New Guinea}}
{{Distinguish|Languages of Mali}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Mali
|nativename=Gaktai
|region=New Britain
|coordinates={{coord|-4.970382|152.043503|type:city_region:PG_source:enwiki|name=Marunga Village|display=inline,title}}
|speakers=2,200
|date=1988
|ref = e18
|familycolor=Papuan
|fam1=Baining
|iso3=gcc
|glotto=mali1284
|glottorefname=Mali
}}
Mali or Gaktai is a Papuan language spoken in East New Britain Province on the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
Dialects
There are two dialects of Mali:Stebbins, Tonya N. 2011. Mali (Baining) grammar. (Pacific Linguistics, 623.) Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.
- Arongda dialect (standard dialect; with two groups), spoken in the mountains, including in Marunga village ({{coord|-4.970382|152.043503|type:city_region:PG|name=Marunga Village}}) in Sinivit Rural LLG, East New Britain Province{{cite web |url=https://data.humdata.org/dataset/village-coordinates-lookup |title=Papua New Guinea Village Coordinates Lookup |author=United Nations in Papua New Guinea |work=Humanitarian Data Exchange |version=1.31.9 |date=2018}}
- Abilta dialect, spoken along the coast
Phonology
= Consonants =
= Vowels =
Noun classes
Mali makes use of noun classes. Below are some Mali noun class paradigms, using the noun root amēng ‘tree’ as an example:{{cite book |last1=Stebbins |first1=Tonya |last2=Evans |first2=Bethwyn |last3=Terrill |first3=Angela |editor1-last=Palmer |editor1-first=Bill |date=2018 |title=The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide |chapter=The Papuan languages of Island Melanesia |series= The World of Linguistics |volume=4 |location=Berlin |publisher=De Gruyter Mouton |pages=775–894 |isbn=978-3-11-028642-7}}{{rp|802}}
:
| {{table}}
! Noun class !! Singular !! Dual !! Plural !! Gloss |
| Masculine (m)
| amēng-ka || amēng-iom || amēng || ‘slender tree’ |
|---|
| Feminine (f)
| amēng-ki || amēng-vem || amēng || ‘large full grown tree’ |
| Diminutive (dim)
| amēng-ini || amēng-ithom || amēng-ithong || ‘stick’ |
| Reduced (rcd)
| amēng-ēm || amēng-vam || amēng-vap || ‘tree stump’ |
| Flat (flat)
| ― || ― || ― || ― |
| Excised (exc)
| amēng-igl || amēng-iglem || amēng-igleng || ‘plank’ |
| Long (long)
| amēng-vēt || amēng-imelēm || amēng-imelēk || ‘pole’ |
| Extended (ext)
| amēng-ia || amēng-inēm || amēng-inēk || ‘large log’ |
| Count neutral (cn)
| amēng || || || ‘wood or trees’ |
Bibliography
- {{cite book |title=Mali (Baining) grammar |last1=Stebbins |first1=Tonya N. |year=2011 |publisher=Pacific Linguistics |location=ANU, Canberra |isbn=9780858836297 |pages=415 |ref=grammar}}
- {{cite book |title=Mali (Baining) dictionary: Mali-Baining Amēthamon Angētha Thēvaik |last1=Stebbins |first1=Tonya N. |last2=Tayul |first2=Julius |year=2012 |series=Studies in the Languages of Island Melanesia |publisher=Asia-Pacific Linguistics |location=Canberra |pages=455 |hdl=1885/9273 |isbn=9781922185006 |ref=TSTJ}}