Melpa language
{{Short description|Trans–New Guinea language spoken in Papua New Guinea}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Melpa
|states=Papua New Guinea
|region=Mount Hagen District, Western Highlands Province
|speakers=130,000
|date=1991
|ref=e18
|familycolor=Papuan
|fam1=Trans–New Guinea
|fam2=Chimbu–Wahgi
|fam3=Hagen
|script=Latin
|iso3=med
|glotto=melp1238
|glottorefname=Melpa
}}
Melpa (Medlpa, Mbowamb) is a Papuan language spoken by about 130,000 people predominantly in Mount Hagen and the surrounding district of Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.
Melpa is a Pandanus language used during karuka harvest.{{cite journal |last1=Franklin |first1=Karl J. |title=A Ritual Pandanus Language of New Guinea |journal=Oceania |date=September 1972 |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=66–76 |doi=10.1002/j.1834-4461.1972.tb01197.x |language=en |oclc=883021898}} Melpa has a voiceless velar lateral fricative, written as a double-barred el (Ⱡ, ⱡ). Melpa is notable for its binary counting system. A dictionary of Melpa has been compiled by Stewart, Strathern and Trantow (2011).Stewart, Pamela J., Andrew Strathern and Jürgen Trantow. 2011. Melpa-German-English Dictionary. Pittsburgh: University Library System.
Phonology
=Consonants=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=2| |
| colspan=2|Nasal
|{{IPA link|m}} |{{IPA link|n̪}} {{grapheme|n}} |{{IPA link|n}} | |{{IPA link|ŋ}} {{grapheme|ng}} |
|---|
| rowspan=2|Stop
!{{small|voiceless}} |{{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|t̪}} {{grapheme|t}} |{{IPA link|t}} | |{{IPA link|k}} |
| {{small|prenasalized}}
|{{IPA link|ᵐb}} {{grapheme|mb}} |{{IPA link|ⁿd̪}} {{grapheme|nd}} |{{IPA link|ⁿd}} {{grapheme|nd}} | |{{IPA link|ᵑɡ}} {{grapheme|ngg}} |
| colspan=2|Rhotic
| | |{{IPA link|r}}~{{IPA link|ɾ}} {{grapheme|r}} | | |
| colspan=2|Lateral
| |{{IPA link|l̪d̪}} {{grapheme|ld}} |{{IPA link|l}} | |{{IPA link|ʟ}}~{{IPA link|𝼄}} {{grapheme|ⱡ}} |
| colspan=2|Semivowel
|{{IPA link|w}} | | |{{IPA link|j}} {{grapheme|y}} | |
=Vowels=
Numeral system
| class=wikitable
!Decimal !Melpa !Interpretation | ||
| 1 | {{lang|med|tenda}} | "one" |
| 2 | ragl | "two" |
| 3 | ragltika | "two-one" |
| 4 | tembokak | "four" |
| 5 | pemp ti gul | "one past four" |
| 6 | pemp ragl gul | "two past four" |
| 7 | pemp ragltika gul | "two-one past four" |
| 8 | engakl | "eight" |
| 9 | pemp ti pip | "one past eight" |
| 10 | pemp ragl pip | "two past eight" |
Media
Temboka, a dialect of Melpa, is the native language of the Ganiga tribe,{{cite news |last=Connolly |first=Bob |title=Filmmaker Bob Connolly returns to PNG 25 years after 'Black Harvest' |work=The Australian Financial Review |date=14 February 2017|url=http://www.afr.com/brand/afr-magazine/filmmaker-bob-connolly-returns-to-png-25-years-after-black-harvest-20161013-gs1idp |access-date=25 January 2017}} who featured prominently in the Highlands Trilogy of documentaries by Robin Anderson and Bob Connolly (First Contact, Joe Leahy's Neighbours, and Black Harvest).
The documentary Ongka's Big Moka also has Melpa dialogue.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.phonetics.ucla.edu/vowels/chapter13/melpa.html Melpa laterals]
- Kay Owens. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150926003303/http://www.uog.ac.pg/glec/Key/Kay/owens131.htm "The Work of Glendon Lean on the Counting Systems of Papua New Guinea and Oceania"], section "The Melpa Counting System". Mathematics Education Research Journal vol. 13 (April 2001), {{doi|10.1007/BF03217098}}
- [http://www-01.sil.org/pacific/png/show_work.asp?id=928474531186 Melpa Phonology]
{{Languages of Papua New Guinea}}
{{Chimbu–Wahgi languages}}
Category:Chimbu–Wahgi languages