A Sociolinguistic Survey of the Amio-Gelimi Language Area
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Bulletin — February 2017
Language and CuLture researCh Centre College of Arts, Society and Education — James Cook University PO Box 6811, Cairns, North Queensland, 4870, Australia Director: Distinguished Professor A.Y.Aikhenvald; Deputy-Director: Professor R.M.W. Dixon [email protected] [email protected] Bulletin — February 2017 The Language and Culture Research Centre (LCRC) is nested within the College of Arts, Society and Education (Dean, Professor Nola Alloway) and works in association with the Cairns Institute (Director, Professor Stewart Lockie) at James Cook University. Overview Now in its ninth year, the Language and Culture Research Centre maintained — and indeed enhanced — its stature as a leading international centre for the inductive study of linguistic typology. We are the only linguistics research centre (or department) in the world all of whose PhD students are producing a theoretically-informed grammatical description of a previously undescribed (or poorly known) language. The Directors were awarded another Discovery Project from the Australian Research Council on 'The integration of language and society'. Co- investigators are Dr Nerida Jarkey of the University of Sydney, Professor Maarten Mous, from the University of Leiden, and Professor Anne Storch, from the University of Cologne. This is in addition to the continuing Australian Laureate Fellowship, plus other ARC Discovery and Linkage grants, and also a competitive grant received under the Universities Australia-Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme. LCRC currently has three Post-Doctoral Research Fellows working on languages from South America. Two new Research Fellow positions will shortly be advertised: one for five years to work in any area of languages of the tropics, and to assist with the supervision of PhD students, and another for two years to work on a language from Papua New Guinea. -
Abstract of Counting Systems of Papua New Guinea and Oceania
Abstract of http://www.uog.ac.pg/glec/thesis/ch1web/ABSTRACT.htm Abstract of Counting Systems of Papua New Guinea and Oceania by Glendon A. Lean In modern technological societies we take the existence of numbers and the act of counting for granted: they occur in most everyday activities. They are regarded as being sufficiently important to warrant their occupying a substantial part of the primary school curriculum. Most of us, however, would find it difficult to answer with any authority several basic questions about number and counting. For example, how and when did numbers arise in human cultures: are they relatively recent inventions or are they an ancient feature of language? Is counting an important part of all cultures or only of some? Do all cultures count in essentially the same ways? In English, for example, we use what is known as a base 10 counting system and this is true of other European languages. Indeed our view of counting and number tends to be very much a Eurocentric one and yet the large majority the languages spoken in the world - about 4500 - are not European in nature but are the languages of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific, Africa, and the Americas. If we take these into account we obtain a quite different picture of counting systems from that of the Eurocentric view. This study, which attempts to answer these questions, is the culmination of more than twenty years on the counting systems of the indigenous and largely unwritten languages of the Pacific region and it involved extensive fieldwork as well as the consultation of published and rare unpublished sources. -
AMBAKICH [Aew]
Endangered languages listing: AMBAKICH [aew] Number of speakers: 770; Total population of language area: 1,964 (2003). Ambakich (also called Aion or Porapora) is a language spoken in the Angoram district of East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. Ambakich is classified as one of the “Grass” languages (Laycock 1973); these languages are now regarded as members of the “Lower Sepik-Ramu” family (Foley 2005). Ambakich speakers mostly live in villages along the Porapora River, which flows northward into the Sepik River. One village (Yaut) is located on the Keram River, southwest of the other villages. Speakers call their language “Ambakich”, whereas “Aion” is the name of the ethnic group. The population in 2003 was probably greater than the 1,964 reported. The language has SOV structure. An SIL survey in 2003 (Potter et al, forthcoming) found that Ambakich has very low vitality. While most adults were able to speak Ambakich, both children and youth spoke and understood Tok Pisin far better than Ambakich. Ambakich speakers report positive attitudes toward their language, stating they value it as an important part of their culture. However, parents use more Tok Pisin than Ambakich when speaking to their children. Communities verbally support the use of Ambakich in schools and teacher attitudes are positive; however teachers feel that the children are not learning the language because it is not being used in the home. Tok Pisin is used in all domains, including home, cultural, religious, social, legal, trade and other interactions with outsiders. Ambakich speakers are close neighbours to the Taiap language studied by Kulick (1992). -
Manual for Alphabet Design Through Community Interaction for Papua New Guinea Elementary Teacher Trainers
Manual for Alphabet Design through Community Interaction for Papua New Guinea Elementary Teacher Trainers Catherine Easton and Diane Wroge Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA This work is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial ShareAlike license. You may freely copy, distribute and transmit this work and you may also adapt the work under the following conditions: 1) You must attribute the work to the author (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). 2) You may not use this work for commercial purposes. and 3) If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. September 2002 Trial Edition November 2002 First Edition June 2012 Second Edition SIL – Ukarumpa Eastern Highlands Province Papua New Guinea Table of Contents Purpose ......................................................................................................................................1 Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................1 What is an alphabet?..................................................................................................................2 The Alphabet Principle........................................................................................................2 Which sounds need to be written?.................................................................................2 Types of symbols...........................................................................................................3 -
Aspects of Tok Pisin Grammar
PACIFIC LINGUISTICS Senie� B - No. 66 ASPECTS OF TOK PIS IN GRAMMAR by Ellen B. Woolford Department of Linguistics Research School of Pacific Studies THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY Woodford, E.B. Aspects of Tok Pisin grammar. B-66, vi + 123 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1979. DOI:10.15144/PL-B66.cover ©1979 Pacific Linguistics and/or the author(s). Online edition licensed 2015 CC BY-SA 4.0, with permission of PL. A sealang.net/CRCL initiative. PACIFIC LINGUIS TICS is issued through the Lingui�tie Ci�ete 06 Canbe��a and consists of four series: SERIES A - OCCASIONAL PAPERS SERIES B - MONOGRAPHS SERIES C - BOOKS SERIES V - SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS EDITOR: S.A. Wurrn. ASSOCIATE EDITORS: D.C. Laycock, C.L. Voorhoeve, D.T. Tryon, T.E. Dutton. EDITORIAL ADVISERS: B. Bender, University of Hawaii J. Lynch, University of Papua D. Bradley, University of Melbourne New Guinea A. Capell, University of Sydney K.A. McElhanon, University of Texas S. Elbert, University of Hawaii H. McKaughan, university of Hawaii K. Franklin, Summer Institute of P. MUhlh�usler, Linacre College, Linguistics oxford W.W. Glover, Summer Institute of G.N. O'Grady, University of Linguistics victoria, B.C. G. Grace, University of Hawaii A.K. pawley, University of Hawaii M.A.K. Halliday, university of K. Pike, Univeraity of Michigan; Sydney Summer Institute of Linguistics A. Healey, Summer Institute of E.C. Pol orne, University of Texas Linguistics G. Sankoff, Universite de Montreal L. Hercus, Australian National E. Uhlenbeck, University of Leiden University J.W.M. Verhaar, University of N.D. -
Languages with Longer Words Have More Lexical Change Søren
Languages with longer words have more lexical change Søren Wichmann and Eric W. Holman 1. Introduction: Aims and data1 The findings to be presented in this paper were not anticipated, but came about as an unexpected result of looking at how the application of a version of the Levenshtein distance to word lists compares with cognate counting. We were interested in the degree to which the two correlate. The results of this investigation are intrinsically interesting and will be presented in the following section 2, but even more interesting is our finding that differ- ences between counting cognates and measuring the Levenshtein distances vary as a function of average word lengths in the word lists compared. This observation will occupy the remainder of the paper, with section 3 devoted to establishing the sta tis tical significance of the observation across language families, while section 4 establishes the significance within language groups, and section 5 discusses competing explanations. First we briefly explain the specific version of the Levenshtein distance used and the concept of cognate identification. In numerous previous papers, beginning in Holman et al. (2008a), the present authors as well as other members of the network of scholars partici- pating in the project known as ASJP (or Automated Similarity Judgment Pro gram) have applied a computer-assisted comparison of word lists in order to derive a measure of differences among languages. Our method consists in comparing pairs of words to determine the Levenshtein distance, LD, which is defined as the number of substitutions, insertions, and deletions necessary to transform one word into another. -
A Grammar of the Dom Language a Papuan Language of Papua New Guinea
A Grammar of the Dom Language A Papuan Language of Papua New Guinea TIDA Syuntaroˆ i Table of Contents Acknowledgements xiii Abbreviations xv Maps xvii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Geographical and demographic background . 1 1.2 Socio-linguistic setting . 1 1.2.1 Tribes and clans . 3 1.2.2 Names and Naming . 4 1.3 Linguistic background . 5 1.3.1 Genetic relationships . 5 1.3.2 Typological profile . 6 1.3.3 Papuan context . 7 1.4 Previous work . 7 1.5 Present study . 8 Chapter 2 Phonology 9 2.1 Vowels . 9 2.1.1 Minimal pairs . 9 2.1.2 Lengthening . 9 2.1.3 /e/ . 9 2.1.4 [1] and /i/ insertion . 10 2.1.5 /i/ . 11 2.1.6 /o/ . 11 2.1.7 /u/ . 12 2.1.8 /a/ . 12 2.1.9 Sequence of vowels . 12 2.2 Consonants . 13 2.2.1 Minimal pairs . 13 2.2.2 Prenasalisation and gemination . 13 2.2.3 Obstruents . 14 2.2.3.1 /p/ . 14 2.2.3.2 /b/ . 14 2.2.3.3 /k/ . 14 2.2.3.4 /g/ . 14 ii Table of Contents 2.2.3.5 /t/ . 15 2.2.3.6 /d/ . 15 2.2.3.7 /s/ . 15 2.2.3.8 /r/ . 15 2.2.3.9 /l/ and /L/........................... 16 2.2.3.10 /s/, /t/ and /l/ . 17 2.2.3.11 /c/ and /j/ . 18 2.2.4 Nasals . 19 2.2.4.1 /n/ . 19 2.2.4.2 /m/ . -
GRAMMATICALIZATION in TOK PISIN Cindy Tung
GRAMMATICALIZATION IN TOK PISIN Cindy Tung WHAT IS TOK PISIN? Tok Pisin began as an English-based pidgin spoken by the majority of Papua New Guinea’s population, with many of these people speaking Tok Pisin as a L21, but the language is now classified as a creole. It is hard to pinpoint the exact definitions of the words “pidgin” and “creole,” as both are contact languages that are created out of circumstances where people cannot dialogue with their existing languages. The definition of a pidgin is “a system of communication which has grown up among people who do not share a common language [but desire communication]” (Crystal 2010: 344), and the primary distinction between a creole and a pidgin is that a creole is spoken as a native language and pidgins are only spoken as an L2. Pidgins also tend to be limited in scope, covering only a limited topic, often trade. As a language evolves from a pidgin to a creole, the vocabulary expands to cover more aspects of communication. Tok Pisin traces its history to the pidgin of Samoan plantations located roughly 2,500 miles west of Papua New Guinea. Under German plantation owners and colonial masters, native English input was unavailable, and vocabulary was incorporated into Tok Pisin by a strategy of its own, causing Tok Pisin to develop as a language without heavy English influence (Mühlhausler 2003: 5). Although the majority of the lexicon originates from English, German words were adopted into Tok Pisin during Germany’s rule of Papua New Guinea. Some of these words include beten ‘to pray’, raus ‘get lost’, and borim ‘to drill’ (Mühlhausler 2003: 27). -
A Central Buang Text 1
A CENTRAL BUANG TEXT 1 Bruce A. Hooley Summer Institute of Linguistics 1 Introduction This document presents a text in the Central Buang language with introductory notes on the phonology and grammar, and footnotes throughout to draw attention to particular features of the language. Data for the original study were collected by myself and my wife during several months of 1959 and 1960 while living in the village of Mapos under the auspices of the Summer Institute of Linguistics. Central Buang is a language of Melanesian stock 2, spoken by a group of about 4.500 people living along the valley of the Snake River about 30 air miles from Lae 3, in the Morobe Province of Papua of New Guinea. The Snake River lies approximately on a line running south-south- west from Lae towards the Government sub-district office at Mumeng, but sepa- rated from Lae by the Herzog range of mountains. The villages in the valley range from 3,000’–6,000’ in altitude. There are a number of cognate languages in the area, but those generally referred to as Buang are restricted to the valley of the Snake and comprise three main divi- sions. These are the headwaters dialect, the central dialect, and the Mangga Buang language. The central dialect, to which this paper refers, is spoken in the villages of Pepeḳnë, Seyuggee, Sëhayo, Saggee, Sebulek, Mapos I, Mapos II, Humeḳ, Römaröm and Wij. Data on which this paper is based were obtained chiefly from Mapos I. The story reproduced here was narrated to me by Yakutung 1 This document in its original form was presented in 1962 as a thesis in Linguistics to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. -
Vitu Grammar Sketch, Data Papers on Papua New Guinea Languages 51
Data Papers on Papua New Guinea Languages Volume 51 Vitu Grammar Sketch René van den Berg and Peter Bachet 2006 Summer Institute of Linguistics Ukarumpa, EHP Papers in the series Data Papers on Papua New Guinea Languages express the authors’ knowledge at the time of writing. They normally do not provide a comprehensive treatment of the topic and may contain analyses which will be modified at a later stage. However, given the large number of undescribed languages in Papua New Guinea, SIL-PNG feels that it is appropriate to make these research results available at this time. René van den Berg, Series Editor Copyright © 2006 Summer Institute of Linguistics Papua New Guinea [email protected] Published 2006 Printed by SIL Printing Press Ukarumpa, EHP Papua New Guinea ISBN 9980-0-3207-3 Table of Contents Abbreviations .......................................................................................................... viii Maps............................................................................................................................ix 1. Introduction.............................................................................................................1 1.1 Location and speakers......................................................................................1 1.2 Language name ................................................................................................1 1.3 Affiliation and earlier studies...........................................................................2 1.4 Dialects ............................................................................................................3 -
Bariai Steve and Carol Jean Gallagher Part 1: Sociolinguistics
Bariai Steve and Carol Jean Gallagher Part 1: Sociolinguistics 1. Introduction 1.1 Background As linguists/translators with the Summer Institute of Linguistics, we (Steve and Carol Jean Gallagher) began initial language and cultural learning among the Bariai people in June 1993. As of the writing of this report, we have spent approximately twenty-three months living and working in the Bariai area, based in the village of Bambak. We selected Bambak because it was one of two villages recommended for allocation by O’Rear and Ferree (1991), and because Bambak is widely acknowledged as the original Bariai village. It is also less crowded and much cleaner than the other village suggested by O’Rear and Ferree. The Bariai language group is located on the northwestern coast of the Island of New Britain in the West New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea. All of the seven Bariai villages are coastal. See Map 1.1. The most common name for the language is Bariai, though it is sometimes referred to as Kabana by the people of the Eastern villages (Kokopo and Gurisi). The people of the Western villages feel that the term Kabana has derogatory connotations, so they insist that it should be called Bariai. The people of the Eastern villages generally do not have a problem referring to the language as Bariai. The Ethnologue code for Bariai is BCH. It is an Austronesian language of the Ngero/Vitiaz group of languages, in the Bariai Chain of languages. 123 124 Bariai Bariai Language New Britain Map 1.1 1.2 Methodology The data for this report was obtained primarily by living with and observing the Bariai people during the years 1993–1996. -
Word Order Change in Papua New Guinea Austronesian
WORD ORDER CHANGE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA AUSTRONESIAN LANGUAGES A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN LINGUISTICS AUGUST 1982 BY Joel Bradshaw Dissertation Committee: George W. Grace, Chairman Byron W. Bender Derek Bickerton Roderick A. Jacobs Michael Hamnett Anatole Lyovin Lawrence A. Reid We certify that we have read this dissertation and that in our opinion it is satisfactory in scope and quality as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics. DISSERTATION COMMITTEE Chairman ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people and institutions contributed to this work. The initial impetus to undertake the research came from George Grace and Andrew Pawley, principal investigators on the Oceanic Comparative Linguistics Project funded by National Science Foundation grant no. BNS 75-19451. That project made it possible for Peter Lincoln, Frank Lichtenberk, and myself to do fieldwork in Papua New Guinea in 1976. George Grace, Andrew Pawley, and Peter Lincoln have been my principal mentors as an Austronesianist. Pete instigated much of my thinking in this study. His wife Satoko provided invaluable help in getting this record of that thinking into proper shape. I have also profited from long discussions with Frank Lichtenberk, who has often done me the favor of being hard to convince. Among the many in Papua New Guinea who helped make the fieldwork a success, I wish to express particular gratitude to the Sawanga family--Yali (now deceased), Enike, and all their children--who looked after me in their village; and to Jeff Siegel, my host in Lae.