Rao language explained

Rao
Nativename:	Rao Breri
States:	Papua New Guinea
Region:	western Madang Province
Speakers:	6,000
Date:	1992
Ref:	e18
Familycolor:	Papuan
Fam2:	Ramu proper
Fam3:	Annaberg
Iso3:	rao
Glotto:	raoo1244
Glottorefname:	Rao
Dia1:	Li’o
Dia2:	Ndramini’o

Rao is a Ramu language of western Madang Province, Papua New Guinea. In older literature it was called Annaberg.

Phonology

Consonants^[1] !!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/	pronounced as /link/
Prenasalized	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Fricative	pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/			(pronounced as /link/)
Nasal	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Approximant	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/

• pronounced as //w// is often heard as pronounced as /[β]/ word-initially and intervocalically.
• pronounced as //f// has only been found word-initially.
• pronounced as //h// is very rare and may be an allophone of pronounced as //g//.
• pronounced as //r// can also be realised as pronounced as /[l]/.

Vowels!!Front!Central!Back

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

Additionally, the following diphthongs have been observed: /ia/, /ai/, /ea/.

Stress falls on the first syllable with a /ʔ/ in coda position. Otherwise, stress is fixed on the first syllable.^[1]

Notes and References

1. Stanhope, John M. (2004). Rao Organised Phonology Data. SIL International.