West Ambae language explained

West Ambae
States:Vanuatu
Region:Ambae
Speakers:8,700
Date:2001
Ref:e18
Familycolor:Austronesian
Fam3:Oceanic
Fam4:Southern Oceanic
Fam5:North-Central Vanuatu
Fam6:North Vanuatu
Iso3:nnd
Glotto:west2513
Glottorefname:West Ambae
Map:Lang Status 99-NE.svg

West Ambae (also known as Duidui, the principal dialect, and Opa, the Mota name for the island) is an Oceanic language spoken on Ambae, Vanuatu. Recognized dialects of West Ambae include Walaha and Nduindui (Duindui). The New Testament was published in West Ambae in 1984.

Phonology

!Bilabial!Alveolar!Velar!Labiovelar!Glottal
Plosivevoicelesspronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
voicedpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Fricativepronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Nasalpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Rhoticpronounced as /link/
Lateralpronounced as /link/
Voiced stops /ɡ, ɡʷ/ occur as prenasalized /ᵑɡ, ᵑɡʷ/, in the Walaha dialect.[1]
Vowels!! Front!Central! Back
Closepronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Midpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Openpronounced as /link/

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Aru, Carol Cecilia . A Short Grammar of Duidui: A Language of West Ambae in Northern Vanuatu . University of the South Pacific . 2015.