Mwerlap language
| Mwerlap | |
|---|---|
| Merelava, Merlav | |
| N̄wërlap | |
| Pronunciation | [ŋʷɞrˈlap] |
| Native to | Vanuatu |
| Region | Merelava, Gaua |
Native speakers | ca. 1,100 (2012)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | mrm |
| Glottolog | merl1237 |
| ELP | Lua error in Module:Endangered_Languages_Project at line 21: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
 Mwerlap is not endangered according to the classification system of the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Mwerlap is an Oceanic language spoken in the south of the Banks Islands in Vanuatu.
Its 1,100 speakers live mostly in Merelava and Merig, but a fair proportion have also settled on the east coast of Gaua island.[2] Besides, a number of Mwerlap speakers live in the two cities of Vanuatu, Port Vila and Luganville.
The language has been studied by Alexandre François, and more recently by Agnès Henri.[3]
Name
[edit | edit source]The language is named after Mwerlap, the native name of Merelava island.
Phonology
[edit | edit source]Consonants
[edit | edit source]Mwerlap has 16 phonemic consonants.
| Labiovelar | Labial | Alveolar | Velar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | voiceless | kʷ ⟨q⟩ | p ⟨p⟩ | t ⟨t⟩ | k ⟨k⟩ |
| prenasal | ᵐb ⟨b⟩ | ⁿd ⟨d⟩ | |||
| Nasal | ŋʷ ⟨n̄w⟩ | m ⟨m⟩ | n ⟨n⟩ | ŋ ⟨n̄⟩ | |
| Fricative | v ~ β ⟨v⟩ | s ⟨s⟩ | ɣ ⟨g⟩ | ||
| Rhotic | r ⟨r⟩ | ||||
| Lateral | l ⟨l⟩ | ||||
| Approximant | w ⟨w⟩ | ||||
/v/ is also heard as [β] when geminated in syllable-initial position.
/s/ may also be heard as alveolo-palatal [ɕ] when in geminated positions.[4]
Vowels
[edit | edit source]Mwerlap has 12 phonemic vowels. These include 9 monophthongs /i ɪ ɛ ʉ ɵ ɞ ʊ ɔ a/,[4] and 3 diphthongs /ɛ͡a ɔ͡ɞ ʊ͡ɵ/.[5]
| Front | Central rounded |
Back | Diphthongs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i ⟨i⟩ | ʉ ⟨u⟩ | (u) ⟨u⟩ | ||
| Near-close | ɪ ⟨ē⟩ | ɵ ⟨ö⟩ | ʊ ⟨ō⟩ | ʊ͡ɵ ⟨ōö⟩ | |
| Open-mid | ɛ ⟨e⟩ | ɞ ⟨ë⟩ | ɔ ⟨o⟩ | ɔ͡ɞ ⟨oë⟩ | |
| Open | a ⟨a⟩ | ɛ͡a ⟨ea⟩ | |||
/ʉ/ may also be heard as back [u] among speakers.[4]
Grammar
[edit | edit source]The system of personal pronouns in Mwerlap contrasts clusivity, and distinguishes three numbers (singular, dual, plural).[6]
| Singular | Dual | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | inclusive | no ~ në /nɔ/~/nœ/ | dōrō /ⁿdʊrʊ/ | gean /ɣɛ͡an/ |
| exclusive | kamar /kamar/ | kemem /kɛmɛm/ | ||
| 2nd | neak /nɛ͡ak/ | kamrō /kamrʊ/ | kemi /kɛmi/ | |
| 3rd | (ki)sean /(ki)sɛ͡an/ | karar /karar/ | kear /kɛ͡ar/ | |
Spatial reference in Mwerlap is based on a system of geocentric (absolute) directionals.[8] That system is partly typical of Oceanic languages, and yet innovative.[9]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ François 2012, p. 88.
- ^ François 2012, p. 97.
- ^ Henri 2023.
- ^ a b c Henri (2023, pp. 165–167); see online.
- ^ François 2005, pp. 445, 460.
- ^ François 2016, p. 51.
- ^ François 2016, p. 33-35.
- ^ Henri (2023, pp. 205–212); see online.
- ^ François 2015, pp. 173–175.
Bibliography
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- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Linguistic map of north Vanuatu, showing range of Mwerlap.
- Online material in Mwerlap (Merlav): audio recordings, documents, etc.
- Na Buk Tatar, Portions of the Book of Common Prayer in the Merelava (Mwerlap) language, digitized by Richard Mammana
- Audio recordings in the Mwerlap language, in open access, by A. François (source: Pangloss Collection, CNRS).
- Materials on Mwerlap are included in the open access Arthur Capell collections (AC1 and AC2) held by Paradisec.