Last Updated: 2020-08-04
Background
Language Family: Sepik-Ramu / Sepik / Upper Sepik / Abau
Phonology
Consonants
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Place of Articulation
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Manner of Articulation
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Labial
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Alveolar
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Palatal
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Velar
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Glottal
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Stops
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p
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k
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Fricatives
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s
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h
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Nasals
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m
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n
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Flaps
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ɾ
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Approximants
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w
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j
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Vowels
- Bailey (1975) proposes a six-vowel system with additional vowel /ɒ/ (p. 8). However, Lock (2007) states that this back vowel is not supported by the evidence (p. 14).
- Some analyses of Abau include a seven-vowel system with additional vowels /ɪ/ and /ʊ/. However, Lock (2011) believes that they are allophones of sequences /ij/ and /uw/, respectively (p. 17).
- Foley (2018) describes Lock’s remarks as “phonetically quite odd” and concludes that the debate over the Abau vowel system is not yet resolved (pp. 288-289). Nevertheless, I have chosen not to include /ɪ/ and /ʊ/ below.
- Bailey (1975) claims that Abau nouns exhibit lexical tone (p. 33). However, Lock refutes this observation, stating that there is no evidence of tone (Lock 2007, 21; Lock 2011, 57:20).
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Front
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Central
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Back
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High
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i
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u
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Mid
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e
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o
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Low
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a
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Alphabet
- /ɾ/ is represented by ⟨l⟩ word-initially, ⟨d⟩ when preceding /n/, and ⟨r⟩ elsewhere (Lock 2011, 57:22).
- Word-initial vowel sequences /iV/ and /uV/ are represented orthographically with a preceding ⟨y⟩ and ⟨w⟩, respectively (ibid.).
- E.g. /ia-/ = ⟨yia-⟩
- This only applies when the second vowel is not high.
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Grapheme
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Phoneme
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Comment
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a
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/a/
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d
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/ɾ/
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preceding /n/
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e
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/e/
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h
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/h/
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i
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/i/
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k
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/k/
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l
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/ɾ/
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word-initially
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m
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/m/
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n
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/n/
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o
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/o/
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p
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/p/
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r
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/ɾ/
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s
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/s/
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u
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/u/
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w
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/w/
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y
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/j/
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Lenition Rules
- /p/ varies freely with [b] (Lock 2007, p 8).
Misc. Rules
- /ɾ/ has several different realizations (Lock 2007, 8–9):
- [d]: adjacent to /i/ and /j/; preceding non-back vowels; preceding non-velar and non-fricative consonants
- [t]: preceding /s/
- [ɺ]: preceding non-back vowels
- /h/ also varies in realization (Lock 2007, 11):
- [ɸ]: word-finally; adjacent to /i/ and /j/; generally preceding consonants
- [m̊] or [n̊]: preceding the respective voiced nasal counterpart
- Across syllable boundaries, /n/ assimilates in place when preceding /k/ (Lock 2007, 10).
References
Bailey, David A. 1975. Abau Language: Phonology and Grammar. Vol. 9. Workpapers in Papua New Guinea Languages. Ukarumpa: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
Foley, William A. 2018. The Uralic Languages. Edited by Bill Palmer. De Gruyter.
———. 2011. Abau Grammar. Vol. 57. Data Papers on Papua New Guinea Languages. Papua New Guinea: SIL-PNG Academic Publications.