Data Papers on Papua New Guinea Languages Volume 55 Kwomtari Phonology and Grammar Essentials edited by Murray Honsberger Carol Honsberger Ian Tupper 2008 SIL-PNG Academic Publications Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea 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 © 2008 SIL-PNG Papua New Guinea [email protected] Published 2008 Printed by SIL Printing Press Ukarumpa, Eastern Highlands Province Papua New Guinea ISBN 9980-0-3426-0 Table of Contents List of maps and tables...................................................................................viii Abbreviations.................................................................................................... ix Introduction to the Kwomtari people and language by Carol Honsberger, Murray Honsberger and Ian Tupper ............. 1 1. Introduction................................................................................................ 2 1.1 Language setting.................................................................................. 2 1.2 The Kwomtari people........................................................................... 5 1.2.1 Traditional way of life ............................................................... 5 1.2.2 Church history............................................................................ 8 1.2.3 Transportation............................................................................ 9 1.2.4 Health......................................................................................... 9 1.2.5 Wealth and income .................................................................. 10 1.2.6 Linguistic vitality and education.............................................. 10 1.3 Linguistic description......................................................................... 11 1.3.1 Language name and dialects .................................................... 11 1.3.2 Earlier work............................................................................. 12 1.3.3 Linguistic classification........................................................... 12 1.3.4 Typological overview.............................................................. 13 1.3.5 The papers................................................................................ 14 Acknowledgements.................................................................................... 15 Part I Kwomtari Phonology Essentials by Julia Drew................................... 17 1. Introduction.............................................................................................. 18 Acknowledgements.................................................................................... 19 2. Phonemic inventory ................................................................................. 20 2.1 Consonant phonemes.......................................................................... 20 2.2 Vowel phonemes................................................................................ 24 3. Phonotactics.............................................................................................. 31 3.1 Syllable structure................................................................................ 31 iii iv 3.2 Consonant clusters.............................................................................. 34 4. Phonological processes............................................................................. 36 4.1 Labialisation ....................................................................................... 36 4.2 Prenasalisation.................................................................................... 38 4.3 Semi-vowels ....................................................................................... 39 5. Suprasegmentals....................................................................................... 42 6. Morphophonemics.................................................................................... 44 6.1 Morphophonemic variations affecting nouns..................................... 44 6.1.1 Locative suffix......................................................................... 44 6.1.2 Pronoun suffixes....................................................................... 45 6.2 Morphophonemic variations affecting verbs...................................... 46 6.2.1 First person singular subject marker ........................................ 46 6.2.2 Vowel harmony........................................................................ 47 6.2.3 Vowel raising ........................................................................... 47 7. Recommended orthography.................................................................... 51 Part II Kwomtari Grammar Essentials by Katharine Spencer........................53 1. Introduction.............................................................................................. 54 2. Nouns and noun phrases.......................................................................... 56 2.1 Nouns.................................................................................................. 56 2.1.1 Types of nouns ......................................................................... 56 2.1.2 Kinship nouns........................................................................... 57 2.1.3 Adjectives................................................................................. 58 2.1.4 Compound nouns..................................................................... 60 2.1.5 Derived nouns.......................................................................... 61 2.2 Quantifiers .......................................................................................... 63 2.2.1 Numerals .................................................................................. 63 2.2.2 Non-specific quantifiers........................................................... 64 2.3 Personal pronouns.............................................................................. 65 2.4 Demonstratives................................................................................... 70 2.5 Noun Phrases...................................................................................... 75 2.5.1 Coordinating noun phrases....................................................... 75 2.5.2 Appositional noun phrases....................................................... 76 2.5.3 Intensifier phrase...................................................................... 77 v 3. Postpositions and postpositional phrases............................................... 78 3.1 Set 1 – Postpositions expressing modal outlook ................................ 78 3.1.1 Focus indices............................................................................ 78 3.1.2 Contrastive focus -te ................................................................ 79 3.1.3 Approximation -se ................................................................... 80 3.1.4 Distributive marker -po............................................................ 81 3.1.5 Diminutive -keke...................................................................... 81 3.1.6 Markers of epistemic judgement.............................................. 82 3.2 Set 2 – Postpositions relating one noun to another ............................ 85 3.2.1 Noun phrase marker/nominaliser -lu ....................................... 85 3.2.2 Comitative -tu .......................................................................... 86 3.3 Set 3 – Postpositions relating a noun to the clausal predicate............ 87 3.3.1 Locative -i, -fi........................................................................... 87 3.3.2 Source -fu................................................................................. 89 3.3.3 Goal -le .................................................................................... 90 3.3.4 Instrument -tu........................................................................... 92 3.3.5 Reason/purpose -fe................................................................... 93 3.4 Postpositional phrases........................................................................ 94 4. Verbs and verb phrases........................................................................... 98 4.1 Verb stems.......................................................................................... 98 4.1.1 Common verb stems ................................................................ 98 4.1.2 Compound verbs...................................................................... 99 4.1.3 Inherently singular and plural verbs....................................... 102 4.1.4 Impersonal verbs.................................................................... 104 4.1.5 Existential verbs..................................................................... 105 4.2 Verbal affixation.............................................................................. 106 4.2.1 Subject suffixes...................................................................... 108 4.2.2 Object suffixes....................................................................... 109 4.2.3