Tebi language explained

Tebi
Nativename:Tepi-Dubu
States:Indonesia
Region:New Guinea
Speakers:220
Date:2005
Ref:e18
Familycolor:Papuan
Fam1:Pauwasi
Fam2:West Pauwasi
Fam3:Tebi–Towe
Iso3:dmu
Glotto:dubu1240
Glottorefname:Dubu

Tebi, also known by the village name Dubu, is a Western Pauwasi language of West New Guinea. It is spoken in Affi, Dubu, and Jembatan Web villages of Keerom Regency. It is mostly used by older adults.

A survey report has been carried out by Im (2005).[1]

Basic vocabulary

Below are some basic vocabulary words in Tebi.[2]

‘I’
na
‘you (sg)’ fro
‘we’ numu
‘belly’ dialə
‘bird’ olmu
‘black’ təŋəra
‘blood’ təri
‘breast’ mamu
‘come’ kəlawai
‘eat’ ne
‘eye’ ei
‘foot’ puŋwa
‘give’ taʔa
‘good’ pani
‘hand’ təro
‘head’ məndini
‘hear’ fei
‘house’
‘louse’ mi
‘man’ toŋkwar
‘mosquito’ mimi
‘name’ kini
‘road’ fiaʔa
‘root’ periŋgu
‘sand’ tədən
‘tooth’ kle
‘tree’ weyalgi
‘water’ ai
‘who’ mate
‘one’ kərowali
‘two’ kre

Notes and References

  1. Im, Youn-Shim. 2005. Draft survey report on the Tebi language of Papua, Indonesia. Manuscript. SIL.
  2. Book: Foley, William A. . Palmer . Bill . 2018 . The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide . The Languages of the Sepik-Ramu Basin and Environs . The World of Linguistics . 4 . Berlin . De Gruyter Mouton . 197-432 . 978-3-11-028642-7.