Saʼa language

{{short description|Austronesian language spoken in the Solomon Islands}}

{{distinguish|Saa language}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Saʼa

|region=South Malaita, Solomon Islands

|speakers={{sigfig|11,520|2}}

|date=1999

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Austronesian

|fam2=Malayo-Polynesian

|fam3=Oceanic

|fam4=Southeast Solomonic

|fam5=Malaita – San Cristobal

|fam6=Malaita

|fam7=

|iso3=apb

|glotto=saaa1240

|glottorefname=Saʼa

|dia1=Saʼa

|dia2=Ulawa

|dia3=Uki

}}

Saʼa (also known as South Malaita and Apaeʼaa) is an Oceanic language spoken on Small Malaita and Ulawa Island in the Solomon Islands. In 1999, there were around 12,000 speakers of the language.

Phonology

The phonemes of Saʼa are listed below.{{Cite thesis |degree=MA |publisher=Dallas International University |last=Ashley|first=Karen|title=Semantics of Saʼa transitive suffixes and thematic consonants|year=2012 |url=https://www.diu.edu/documents/theses/Ashley_Karen-thesis.pdf |pages=15-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417134841/https://www.diu.edu/documents/theses/Ashley_Karen-thesis.pdf |archive-date=2021-04-17}}

= Consonants =

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

! rowspan="2" |

! colspan="2" |Labial

! rowspan="2" |Alveolar

! rowspan="2" |Post-
alveolar

! rowspan="2" |Velar

! rowspan="2" |Glottal

plain

!lab.

Plosive

|{{IPA link|p}}

|{{IPA link|pʷ}}

|{{IPA link|t}}

|{{IPA link|tʃ}}

|{{IPA link|k}}

|{{IPA link|ʔ}}

Fricative

|

|

|{{IPA link|s}}

|

|

|{{IPA link|h}}

Nasal

|{{IPA link|m}}

|{{IPA link|mʷ}}

|{{IPA link|n}}

|

|{{IPA link|ŋ}}

|

Lateral

|

|

|{{IPA link|l}}

|

|

|

Tap

|

|

|{{IPA link|ɾ}}

|

|

|

Approximant

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

|

|

|

|

= Vowels =

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

!

!Front

!Central

!Back

Close

|{{IPA link|i}}

|

|{{IPA link|u}}

Mid

|{{IPA link|e}}

|

|{{IPA link|o}}

Open

|

|{{IPA link|a}}

|

References

{{Reflist}}