Kwerba language explained

Kwerba
Nativename:	Sasawa
States:	Indonesia
Region:	Sarmi Regency, Papua
Speakers:	2,500
Date:	1996
Ref:	e18
Familycolor:	Papuan
Fam1:	Foja Range
Fam2:	Kwerbic
Fam3:	Nuclear Kwerba
Dia1:	Serikenam
Dia2:	Sasawa
Dia3:	Nogukwabai
Iso3:	kwe
Glotto:	nucl1595
Glottorefname:	Kwerba

Kwerba is a Papuan language of Indonesia. Alternate names are Airmati (Armati), Koassa, Mataweja, Naibedj, Segar Tor, Tekutameso.

Kwerba is spoken in Apiaweti, Aurime, Munukania, Tatsewalem, and Wamariri villages in Sarmi Regency.^[1]

Phonology

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

Plosive	pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/	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/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Approximant	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/

• The consonants /p k/ can be heard as [ɸ x] intervocalically.
• The plosive and affricate consonants can be aspirated word-finally.
• /s/ sometimes varies to [h] word initially and intervocalically for some speakers.
• /r/ does not occur word-initially.

Vowels!!Front!Central!Back

High	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Near-high	pronounced as /link/
Mid-high	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Mid-low	pronounced as /link/
Low		pronounced as /link/

Stress occurs on the penultimate syllable.

Pronouns

Kwerba nominative pronouns as given in Foley (2018):^[3]

		singular	dual	plural
1st person	excl	co	nano’	nino
	incl		na’no	neno
2nd person		am	nono	nom
3rd person		iiniim	iinembwano	iinembwa

Notes and References

1. Web site: Indonesia languages . Ethnologue

   Languages of the World

   . 22nd . Eberhard . David M. . Simons . Gary F. . Fennig . Charles D. . 2019 . Dallas . SIL International.
2. Slizer . Peter J. . 1976 . Suharno . Ignatius . Pike . Kenneth L. . A six-week phonemic analysis of Air Mati with a tentative orthography. . From Baudi to Indonesian . Jayapura . Cenderawasih University and Summer Institute of Linguistics . 192-201.
3. Book: Foley, William A. . William A. Foley . Palmer . Bill . 2018 . The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide . The languages of Northwest New Guinea . The World of Linguistics . 4 . Berlin . De Gruyter Mouton . 433–568 . 978-3-11-028642-7.