Luang language explained

Luang
Nativename:	Literi Lagona
States:	Indonesia
Region:	Babar Islands
Speakers:	18,000
Date:	1995
Ref:	e18
Familycolor:	Austronesian
Fam2:	Malayo-Polynesian (MP)
Fam3:	Central–Eastern MP
Fam4:	Timoric
Fam5:	South–East Timor
Fam6:	Luangic–Kisaric
Fam7:	Luangic
Dia1:	Lakor
Dia2:	Luang
Dia3:	Moa
Dia4:	Wetan (Wetang)
Iso3:	lex
Glotto:	luan1263
Glottorefname:	Luang

Luang, also known as '''Literi Lagona''' (Letri Lgona), is an Austronesian language spoken in the Leti Islands and the Babar Islands in Maluku, Indonesia. It is closely related to the neighboring Leti language, with 89% shared basic vocabulary.^[1]

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Dental/ Alveolar	Dorsal	Glottal
Plosive	voiceless	pronounced as /ink/	pronounced as /ink/	pronounced as /ink/	pronounced as /ink/
	voiced		pronounced as /ink/	pronounced as /ink/
Fricative		pronounced as /ink/	pronounced as /ink/		pronounced as /ink/
Nasal		pronounced as /ink/	pronounced as /ink/
Trill			pronounced as /ink/
Lateral			pronounced as /ink/
Approximant		pronounced as /ink/		pronounced as /ink/

• Palatalization and labialization pronounced as /[ʲ, ʷ]/ among sounds may occur when preceding glide sounds pronounced as //w, j//.
• pronounced as //ɡ// can be heard as pronounced as /[ɣ]/ in free variation.
• pronounced as //m, n// can be heard as pronounced as /[ŋ]/ when preceding pronounced as //k//.
• pronounced as //w// can be heard as pronounced as /[ʋ]/ when preceding a consonant. It can be heard as pronounced as /[v]/ when between two high vowels, and can also be heard freely as pronounced as /[β]/ when between a non-high vowel and a high vowel.
• pronounced as //r// can be heard as pronounced as /[ɾ]/ in fast speech.
• pronounced as //t̪, d// when palatalized as pronounced as /[t̪ʲ, dʲ]/, can be heard as affricate sounds pronounced as /[tʃ, dʒ]/ when in fast speech.

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	pronounced as /i/		pronounced as /u/
Mid	pronounced as /e/		pronounced as /o/
Open		pronounced as /a/

• An epenthetical schwa pronounced as /[ə̆]/ can be heard in between homorganic consonants.
• pronounced as //e// can be heard as pronounced as /[ɛ]/ word-medially in closed syllables, and in stressed and pre-stressed syllables.
• pronounced as //a// can be heard as pronounced as /[ə]/ word-finally and in both stressed and post-stressed syllables.^[2]

External links

• Luang Bible
• Book: Taber, Kathleen B. . Luang Grammar and Phonology Sketch . Taber . Mark H. . SIL International . 2015 . SIL e‑Books, 63 . Dallas.

Notes and References

1. Taber, Mark (1993). "Toward a Better Understanding of the Indigenous Languages of Southwestern Maluku." Oceanic Linguistics, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Winter, 1993), pp. 389–441. University of Hawai'i.
2. Book: Taber, Kathleen & Mark . Luang Grammar and Phonology Sketch . SIL International . 2015.