| Ama | |
| Nativename: | Sawiyanu |
| States: | Papua New Guinea |
| Region: | East Sepik Province |
| Speakers: | 490 |
| Date: | 2000 |
| Ref: | e25 |
| Familycolor: | Papuan |
| Fam1: | Arai–Samaia |
| Fam2: | Left May (Arai) |
| Iso3: | amm |
| Glotto: | amap1240 |
| Glottorefname: | Ama (Papua New Guinea) |
Ama (Sawiyanu) is a Left May language of Papua New Guinea, in East Sepik Province. Former dialects have merged.
Ethnologue reports that it is spoken in Ama (Wopolu I) (-4.1033°N 141.665°W), Kauvia (Kawiya) (-4.1234°N 141.6629°W), Waniap creek (-4.2158°N 141.7289°W), Wopolu II (Nokonufa) (-4.073°N 141.7062°W), and Yonuwai (-4.1936°N 141.6038°W) villages of Tunap/Hunstein Rural LLG, East Sepik Province.[1]
Ama has 12 consonants, which are:
| p | t | k | kʷ | |||
| ɸ | s | h | ||||
| m | n | |||||
| w | ɻ | j |
Ama has 7 vowels, which are:
| i | u | |
| e | o | |
| ɔ | ||
| a | ɒ |
Pronouns are:[2]
| sg | du | pl | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1incl | moti | moi | ||
| 1excl | yo/ya | koti | koi | |
| 2 | nono/na | moti | moi | |
| 3 | to/ta | toti | toi |
Ama has four tenses, which are marked by suffixes.