Molima language

{{short description|Austronesian language spoken in Papua New Guinea}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Molima

|altname=Salakahadi

|nativename={{lang|mox|Fagululu}}

|states=Papua New Guinea

|region=Fergusson Island, Milne Bay Province

|speakers={{sigfig|4010|2}}

|date=2000 census

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Austronesian

|fam2=Malayo-Polynesian

|fam3=Oceanic

|fam4=Western Oceanic

|fam5=Papuan Tip

|fam6=Nuclear Papuan Tip

|fam7=North Papuan Mainland – D'Entrecasteaux

|fam8=Dobu–Duau

|iso3=mox

|glotto=moli1248

|glottorefname=Molima

|dia1=Tola’ai

|dia2=Ai’alu

|dia3=Tosila’ai

}}

Molima is an Austronesian language spoken in the D'Entrecasteaux Islands of Papua New Guinea.

Phonology

= Consonants =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" \| ! colspan="2" \|Labial ! rowspan="2" \|Dental/ Alveolar ! rowspan="2" \|Palatal ! colspan="2" \|Velar ! colspan="2" \|Glottal
plain !lab. !plain !lab. !plain !lab.
rowspan="2" \|Plosive !voiceless \| colspan="2" \| \|{{IPA link\|t̪}} \| \|{{IPA link\|k}} \|{{IPA link\|kʷ}} \|{{IPA link\|ʔ}} \|{{IPA link\|ʔʷ}}
voiced \|{{IPA link\|b}} \|{{IPA link\|bʷ}} \|{{IPA link\|d̪}} \| \|{{IPA link\|ɡ}} \|{{IPA link\|ɡʷ}} \| colspan="2" \|
rowspan="2" \|Fricative !voiceless \|{{IPA link\|ɸ}} \|{{IPA link\|ɸʷ}} \|{{IPA link\|s}} \| \| colspan="2" \| \| colspan="2" \|{{IPA link\|h}}
voiced \| colspan="2" \|{{IPA link\|v}} \| \|{{IPA link\|ʝ}} \| colspan="2" \|{{IPA link\|ɣ}} \| colspan="2" \|
colspan="2" \|Nasal \|{{IPA link\|m}} \|{{IPA link\|mʷ}} \|{{IPA link\|n̪}} \| \| colspan="2" \| \| colspan="2" \|
colspan="2" \|Lateral \| colspan="2" \| \|{{IPA link\|l}} \| \| colspan="2" \| \| colspan="2" \|
colspan="2" \|Approximant \| colspan="2" \| \| \|({{IPA link\|j}}) \| colspan="2" \|{{IPA link\|w}} \| colspan="2" \|

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

! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |

! colspan="2" |Labial

! rowspan="2" |Dental/
Alveolar

! rowspan="2" |Palatal

! colspan="2" |Velar

! colspan="2" |Glottal

plain

!lab.

!plain

!lab.

!plain

!lab.

rowspan="2" |Plosive

!voiceless

| colspan="2" |

|{{IPA link|t̪}}

|{{IPA link|k}}

|{{IPA link|kʷ}}

|{{IPA link|ʔ}}

|{{IPA link|ʔʷ}}

voiced

|{{IPA link|b}}

|{{IPA link|bʷ}}

|{{IPA link|d̪}}

|{{IPA link|ɡ}}

|{{IPA link|ɡʷ}}

| colspan="2" |

rowspan="2" |Fricative

!voiceless

|{{IPA link|ɸ}}

|{{IPA link|ɸʷ}}

|{{IPA link|s}}

| colspan="2" |

| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|h}}

voiced

| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|v}}

|{{IPA link|ʝ}}

| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|ɣ}}

| colspan="2" |

colspan="2" |Nasal

|{{IPA link|m}}

|{{IPA link|mʷ}}

|{{IPA link|n̪}}

| colspan="2" |

colspan="2" |Lateral

| colspan="2" |

|{{IPA link|l}}

| colspan="2" |

colspan="2" |Approximant

| colspan="2" |

|({{IPA link|j}})

| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|w}}

| colspan="2" |

{{IPA|[p]}} may also occur as an allophone of {{IPA|/ɸ/}}, or as a result of borrowed words from Dobu, Motu or English.
{{IPA|/v/}} can be weakened as {{IPA|[ʋ]}} in all environments, in free variation.
{{IPA|/i/}}, when preceding a vowel, may also be realized as a semivowel {{IPA|[j]}}.{{Cite book |last=Engkvist |first=Leif & Helena |title=Organized Phonology Data of Molima Language (Tola'ai dialect) |year=2002}}