- Source: Kwomtari language
Kwomtari is the eponymous language of the Kwomtari family of Papua New Guinea.
Spencer (2008) is a short grammar of Kwomtari. The language has an SOV constituent order and nominative–accusative alignment. Both subjects and objects are marked suffixally on the verb. Verbs are inflected for status (mood) rather than for tense or aspect.
Locations
Ethnologue lists Kwomtari as spoken in six villages in Komtari (Kwomtari) ward (3.596084°S 141.361577°E / -3.596084; 141.361577 (Kwomtari)), Amanab Rural LLG, Sandaun Province.
Baron (2007) lists Kwomtari-speaking villages as Mango, Kwomtari, Baiberi, Yenabi, Yau'uri, and Wagroni.
Phonology
The phoneme /ɸ/ is realized as a voiced bilabial fricative [β] intervocalically and voiceless bilabial fricative [ɸ] elsewhere. The realization of the phoneme /ɭ/ is in free variation between a voiced retroflex lateral [ɭ] and a voiced retroflex stop [ɖ].
The unusual vowel phonemes /i̞/ and /u̞/ are of intermediate height between cardinal [i]/[u] and [e]/[o] respectively but without the centralization present in [ɪ] and [ʊ]. They have also been attested in Weri, a Goilalan language of south-east Papua, and certain Dani dialects.
References
Baron, Wietze (1983). "Kwomtari survey" (PDF). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
External links
Kwomtari phonology, word examples and text example