Nii language

{{Short description|Trans–New Guinea language of Papua New Guinea}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Nii

|nativename={{lang|nii|Ek Nii}}

|states=Papua New Guinea

|region=Western Highlands Province

|speakers=12,000

|date=1991

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Papuan

|fam1=Trans–New Guinea

|fam2=Chimbu–Wahgi

|fam3=Wahgi

|iso3=nii

|glotto=niii1240

|glottorefname=Nii

}}

Nii is a Trans–New Guinea language of the Chimbu–Wahgi branch spoken in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Nii has an unusual number of lateral consonants: a typical alveolar flap, {{IPA|/ɺ/}}, plus both dental and velar lateral fricatives, {{IPA|/ɬ̪/}} and {{IPA|/𝼄/}}, which are voiced between vowels and do not occur in initial position.Foley, 1986:63, The Papuan languages of New GuineaStucky, Alfred; Stucky, Dellene (1973). "[https://www.sil.org/system/files/reapdata/23/85/34/23853451869958568538398841625100014874/Nii_Phonology.pdf Nii phonology]". In Alan Healey (ed.), Studies In languages of the Ok family, 37-78. Workpapers In Papua New Guinea Languages, 2. Ukarumpa: Summer Institute of Linguistics.

Phonology

= Vowels =

class="wikitable" ! ! Front ! Central ! Back
style="text-align: center;" ! High \| {{IPA link\|i}}	colspan=2\| {{IPA link\|u}}~{{IPA link\|ʊ}}
style="text-align: center;" ! Near-High \| colspan=2\| {{IPA link\|ɪ}}~{{IPA\|ᵻ}}
style="text-align: center;" ! Mid \| {{IPA link\|ɛ}}		{{IPA link\|o̞\|o}}~{{IPA link\|ɔ}}
style="text-align: center;" ! Open \| colspan=2\| {{IPA link\|a}}

= Consonants =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" \|+Nii consonants (Stucky 1973) ! colspan="2" \| ! scope="col" \| Labial ! scope="col" \| Dental ! scope="col" \| Alveolar ! scope="col" \| Palatal ! scope="col" \| Velar
scope="row" colspan="2" \| Nasal \|{{IPA link\|m}} \|{{IPA link\|n̪}} \|{{IPA link\|n}} \| \|{{IPA link\|ŋ}}
scope="row" colspan="2" \| Prenasalized \| {{IPAlink\|ᵐb}} \| {{IPAlink\|ⁿdz}} \| {{IPAlink\|ⁿd}} \| \| {{IPAlink\|ᵑɡ}}
scope="row" colspan="2" \| Oral \| {{IPAlink\|p}} \| {{IPA link\|s̪}} \| {{IPAlink\|r}} \| \| {{IPAlink\|k}}
scope="row" colspan="2" \| Lateral \| \| {{IPAlink\|ɬ̪}} \| {{IPAlink\|ɺ}} \| \| {{IPAlink\|𝼄}}
scope="row" colspan="2" \| Approximant \|{{IPA link\|w}} \| \| \|{{IPA link\|j}}

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

|+Nii consonants (Stucky 1973)

! colspan="2" |

! scope="col" | Labial

! scope="col" | Dental

! scope="col" | Alveolar

! scope="col" | Palatal

! scope="col" | Velar

scope="row" colspan="2" | Nasal

|{{IPA link|m}}

|{{IPA link|n̪}}

|{{IPA link|n}}

|{{IPA link|ŋ}}

scope="row" colspan="2" | Prenasalized

| {{IPAlink|ᵐb}}

| {{IPAlink|ⁿdz}}

| {{IPAlink|ⁿd}}

| {{IPAlink|ᵑɡ}}

scope="row" colspan="2" | Oral

| {{IPAlink|p}}

| {{IPA link|s̪}}

| {{IPAlink|r}}

| {{IPAlink|k}}

scope="row" colspan="2" | Lateral

| {{IPAlink|ɬ̪}}

| {{IPAlink|ɺ}}

| {{IPAlink|𝼄}}

scope="row" colspan="2" | Approximant

|{{IPA link|w}}

|{{IPA link|j}}

Phoneme\|\|word- initial\|\|inter- vocalic\|\|word- final\|\|utterance- final
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" \|+Nii consonant allophones (Stucky 1973)
{{IPA\|/p/}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[p]}}~{{IPA\|[b]}}	{{IPA\|[pᵊ]}}~{{IPA\|[pʰ]}}	{{IPA\|[pʰ]}}
{{IPA\|/s/}}	{{IPA\|[s̪]}}~{{IPA\|[t̪s̪]}}~{{IPA\|[t̪]}}	{{IPA\|[s̪]}}~{{IPA\|[t̪]}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[s̪]}}~{{IPA\|[t̪s̪]}}
{{IPA\|/r/}}	{{IPA\|[t]}}~{{IPA\|[r]}}^(?) (after another word)	{{IPA\|[ɾ]}}~{{IPA\|[r]}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[r̥]}} (after a vowel)
{{IPA\|/k/}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[k]}}~{{IPA\|[ɡ]}}	{{IPA\|[kᵊ]}}~{{IPA\|[kʰ]}}	{{IPA\|[kʰ]}}
{{IPA\|/mb/}}	{{IPA\|[mb]}}	{{IPA\|[mb]}}~{{IPA\|[mp]}}	{{IPA\|[mpᵊ]}}~{{IPA\|[mpʰ]}}	{{IPA\|[mpʰ]}}
{{IPA\|/ndz/}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[n̪d̪z]}}~{{IPA\|[n̪t̪s]}}***	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[n̪d̪z]}}~{{IPA\|[n̪t̪s]}}~{{IPA\|[n̪s]}}
{{IPA\|/nd/}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[nd]}}~{{IPA\|[nt]}}	{{IPA\|[ntᵊ]}}~{{IPA\|[ntʰ]}}	{{IPA\|[ntʰ]}}~{{IPA\|[nt𐞩̥]}}
{{IPA\|/ŋɡ/}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[ŋk]}}~{{IPA\|[ŋɡ]}}	{{IPA\|[ŋkᵊ]}}~{{IPA\|[ŋkʰ]}}	{{IPA\|[ŋkʰ]}}
{{IPA\|/ɬ/}}	NA	{{IPA\|[ɮ̪]}}*	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[ɬ̪]}}
{{IPA\|/ɺ/}}	NA	{{IPA\|[ɺ]}}**	colspan=2\| NA
{{IPA\|/𝼄/}}	NA	{{IPA\|[ʟ̝]}}	{{IPA\|[𝼄]}}~{{IPA\|[𝼄ᵊ]}}	{{IPA\|[𝼄]}}

:* {{IPA|/ɬ/}} is evidently {{IPA|[l̪]}} before a consonant

:** {{IPA|/ɺ/}} is {{IPA|[l]}} before /r/; in word-final position this sequence becomes {{IPA|[lt𐞩̥]}} ~ {{IPA|[ltʰ]}}.

:*** {{IPA|/ndz/}} may have a vocoid release {{IPA|[n̪d̪zᶦ]}} at the end of a syllable before a consonant.

The account of the initial allophones of {{IPA|/r/}} is confused, and some of the other positions are not completely clear.

References

Category:Chimbu–Wahgi languages

Category:Languages of Western Highlands Province

class="wikitable" ! ! Front ! Central ! Back
style="text-align: center;" ! High \| {{IPA link\|i}}	colspan=2\| {{IPA link\|u}}~{{IPA link\|ʊ}}
style="text-align: center;" ! Near-High \| colspan=2\| {{IPA link\|ɪ}}~{{IPA\|ᵻ}}
style="text-align: center;" ! Mid \| {{IPA link\|ɛ}}		{{IPA link\|o̞\|o}}~{{IPA link\|ɔ}}
style="text-align: center;" ! Open \| colspan=2\| {{IPA link\|a}}

Phoneme\|\|word- initial\|\|inter- vocalic\|\|word- final\|\|utterance- final
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" \|+Nii consonant allophones (Stucky 1973)
{{IPA\|/p/}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[p]}}~{{IPA\|[b]}}	{{IPA\|[pᵊ]}}~{{IPA\|[pʰ]}}	{{IPA\|[pʰ]}}
{{IPA\|/s/}}	{{IPA\|[s̪]}}~{{IPA\|[t̪s̪]}}~{{IPA\|[t̪]}}	{{IPA\|[s̪]}}~{{IPA\|[t̪]}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[s̪]}}~{{IPA\|[t̪s̪]}}
{{IPA\|/r/}}	{{IPA\|[t]}}~{{IPA\|[r]}}^(?) (after another word)	{{IPA\|[ɾ]}}~{{IPA\|[r]}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[r̥]}} (after a vowel)
{{IPA\|/k/}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[k]}}~{{IPA\|[ɡ]}}	{{IPA\|[kᵊ]}}~{{IPA\|[kʰ]}}	{{IPA\|[kʰ]}}
{{IPA\|/mb/}}	{{IPA\|[mb]}}	{{IPA\|[mb]}}~{{IPA\|[mp]}}	{{IPA\|[mpᵊ]}}~{{IPA\|[mpʰ]}}	{{IPA\|[mpʰ]}}
{{IPA\|/ndz/}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[n̪d̪z]}}~{{IPA\|[n̪t̪s]}}***	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[n̪d̪z]}}~{{IPA\|[n̪t̪s]}}~{{IPA\|[n̪s]}}
{{IPA\|/nd/}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[nd]}}~{{IPA\|[nt]}}	{{IPA\|[ntᵊ]}}~{{IPA\|[ntʰ]}}	{{IPA\|[ntʰ]}}~{{IPA\|[nt𐞩̥]}}
{{IPA\|/ŋɡ/}}	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[ŋk]}}~{{IPA\|[ŋɡ]}}	{{IPA\|[ŋkᵊ]}}~{{IPA\|[ŋkʰ]}}	{{IPA\|[ŋkʰ]}}
{{IPA\|/ɬ/}}	NA	{{IPA\|[ɮ̪]}}*	colspan=2\|{{IPA\|[ɬ̪]}}
{{IPA\|/ɺ/}}	NA	{{IPA\|[ɺ]}}**	colspan=2\| NA
{{IPA\|/𝼄/}}	NA	{{IPA\|[ʟ̝]}}	{{IPA\|[𝼄]}}~{{IPA\|[𝼄ᵊ]}}	{{IPA\|[𝼄]}}