Kaian language explained

See also: Kayan language (disambiguation).

Kaian
Nativename:	Kayan
States:	Papua New Guinea
Region:	Yawar Rural LLG, Madang Province
Coordinates:	-4.0545°N 144.7365°W
Speakers:	740
Date:	2013
Ref:	e25
Familycolor:	Papuan
Fam2:	Ramu proper
Fam5:	Watam
Iso3:	kct
Glotto:	kaia1245
Glottorefname:	Kaian

Kaian (Kayan) is a Ramu language of Kaian village (-4.0545°N 144.7365°W) in Yawar Rural LLG, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.^[1]

Phonology

Consonants^[2] !!Labial!Alveolar!Palatal!Velar!Glottal

Plosive	pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Prenasalized	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Fricative		pronounced as /link/
Nasal	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Approximant	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/

• /p t k/ are aspirated preceding a vowel.
• /k/ is heard as [ʔ] word-finally or preceding another plosive.
• /dʒ/ can be pronounced [ʒ] or [z] by some speakers.
• /r/ is voiceless [r̥] word-finally.

Vowels!!Front!Central!Back

High	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Mid	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Low		pronounced as /link/

Additionally, the following diphthongs have been observed: /ai/, /au/, /ae/, /ao/, /ea/, /ia/, /iu/, /oa/, /oi/, /ou/, /ua/.

Stress is always found on the antepenultimate syllable. On shorter words, stress falls on the initial syllable.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Papua New Guinea Village Coordinates Lookup . United Nations in Papua New Guinea . Humanitarian Data Exchange . 1.31.9 . 2018.
2. Lillie, Pat; Easton, Catherine (2004). Kaian Organised Phonology Data. SIL International.