Gadsup language explained

Gadsup
Date:	1996  - 2000 census
Ref:	e25
Familycolor:	Papuan
Dia1:	Oyana, Akuna, Ontenu^[1]
Iso3:	gaj
Lc1:	ont
Ld1:	Ontenu village
Glotto:	gads1258
Glottorefname:	Gadsup

Gadsup is a Kainantu language spoken by the people of the same name in Papua New Guinea.

Phonology

Consonants

Ontena Gadsup's consonants^[2] !! Bilabial! Alveolar! Velar! Glottal

Group 1	pronounced as /ɸ/, pronounced as /β/	pronounced as /s/, pronounced as /ɾ/	pronounced as /x/
Group 2	pronounced as /m/	pronounced as /n/	pronounced as /j/	pronounced as /ʔ/

• pronounced as //ɸ, β, s, ɾ, x// become plosives pronounced as /[p, b, t, d, k]/ when preceded by pronounced as //N, ʔ//, but initially and medially they are pronounced as /[/ɸ, β, s, ɾ, x, ɾ]/.^[3]

Akuna Gadsup's consonants!! Bilabial! Alveolar! Velar! Glottal

Group 1	pronounced as /p/	pronounced as /t/, pronounced as /d/	pronounced as /k/
Group 2	pronounced as /m/, pronounced as /β/	pronounced as /n/	pronounced as /j/	pronounced as /ʔ/

The phonology of Akuna Gadsup is similar to Ontena Gadsup, except voiceless plosives don't lenite initially, but they do medially.^[3]

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
High	pronounced as /i/		pronounced as /u/
Mid	pronounced as /e/	pronounced as /ɐ/	pronounced as /o/
Low		pronounced as /a/

pronounced as //ɐ// can also be heard as pronounced as /[ʌ̈]/.^[4]

External links

• Paradisec open access vocabulary and phrases in Gadsup
• Paradisec open access audio recordings in Gadsup

Notes and References

1. Hammarström (2015) Ethnologue 16/17/18th editions: a comprehensive review: online appendices
2. Web site: Organised Phonology Data: Gadsup (Ontena dialect) Language [GAJ], Eastern Highlands Province]. 2004-08-23 . www.sil.org . https://web.archive.org/web/20220308155324/https://www.sil.org/system/files/reapdata/14/55/28/145528924996124292827377513229587788840/Gadsup_Ontena.pdf . 2022-03-08.
3. The typology of the distribution of Edge: The propensity for bipositionality. 10.2218/pihph.1.2016.1696. 2016. Ulfsbjorninn. Shanti. Lahrouchi. Mohamed. Papers in Historical Phonology. 1. 109. free.
4. Book: Frantz . Chester I. . Gadsup phoneme and toneme units . Frantz . Marjorie E. . Papers in New Guinea Linguistics No. 5 . 10.15144/PL-A7.1 . 0-85883-012-4 . 1966 . Canberra . Australian National University . 1971.