Yonggom language explained

Yonggom language should not be confused with Yonggom Wambon language.

Yonggom
Speakers:	6,000
Date:	1999
Ref:	e18
Familycolor:	Papuan
Fam2:	Central & South New Guinea ?
Fam4:	Lowland Ok
Iso3:	yon
Glotto:	yong1280
Glottorefname:	Yonggom

Yonggom is one of the Ok languages of West Papua and Papua New Guinea. It is very close to North Muyu, which is also called 'Yonggom'.

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar
Nasal		pronounced as /ink/	pronounced as /ink/		pronounced as /ink/
Plosive	voiceless	pronounced as /ink/	pronounced as /ink/		pronounced as /ink/ pronounced as /link/
	voiced	pronounced as /ink/	pronounced as /ink/		pronounced as /link/
Fricative			pronounced as /link/
Tap			pronounced as /ink/
Approximant		pronounced as /link/	(pronounced as /link/)	pronounced as /link/

• /b, d/ can become fricatives [β, ð] intervocalically in fast speech.
• /k/ can be heard as a fricative [ɣ] in fast speech.
• /ɾ/ becomes [l] in word-initial position.
• /j/ is heard as an affricate [dʒ] when following a plosive.

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/
Mid	pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/
Open		pronounced as /link/ pronounced as /link/

• /i/ becomes [ɪ] when before /s/ or a word-final /n/.
• /ɛ/ becomes more close as [e] when before a sonorant back consonant.^[1]

External links

• Paradisec has an open access collection that includes Yonggom language materials

Notes and References

1. Book: Christensen, Steve . Yongkom (Yonggom, Yongom) Language . SIL . 2002 . Organised Phonology Data.