Sanio language explained

Sanio language should not be confused with Hewa language.

Sanio
Nativename:	Hiowe
States:	Papua New Guinea
Region:	East Sepik Province
Speakers:	1,300
Date:	2000 census
Ref:	e25
Familycolor:	Papuan
Fam1:	Sepik
Fam2:	Sepik Hill
Dia1:	Saniyo
Dia2:	Hiyowe
Iso3:	sny
Glotto:	sani1270
Glottorefname:	Saniyo-Hiyewe

Sanio, or more precisely Saniyo-Hiyewe, is a Sepik language of Tunap/Hunstein Rural LLG in East Sepik Province, northern Papua New Guinea. It is also spoken in Telefomin Rural LLG, Sandaun Province.

Dialects

Dialects are:^[1]

• Hiyowe dialect, spoken in Maposi village (-4.5475°N 142.2206°W) of Tunap-Hunstein Rural LLG
• Saniyo dialect, spoken in Hanasi (-4.5232°N 142.3759°W), Malapute’e (-4.5854°N 142.3363°W), Pukapuki, Salunapi (-4.5513°N 142.3433°W), and Sio (-4.4504°N 142.3164°W) villages of Tunap-Hunstein Rural LLG

Phonology

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

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

• /r/ has the allophone [l] word-initially, which is written with the separate character .
• /ʔ/ only appears intervocalically.

Vowels!!Front!Central!Back

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

• /ɛ/ is pronounced [ei] before /j/. In this case it is written as .

Additionally, the following diphthongs can be found: /ai/, /au/, /ou/.

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. Lewis, Ron (2002). Saniyo Hiyewe Organised Phonology Data. SIL International.