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Kuman language (New Guinea)

Kuman (also ChimbuorSimbu) is a language of Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea. In 1994, it was estimated that 80,000 people spoke Kuman, 10,000 of them monolinguals;^[2] in the 2000 census, 115,000 were reported, with few monolinguals.^[1] Ethnologue also reported 70,000 second language speakers in 2021.^[1]

Phonology[edit]

Like other Chimbu languages, Kuman has rather unusual lateral consonants. Besides the typical /l/, it has a "laterally released velar affricate" which is voiced medially and voiceless finally (and does not occur initially).^[3] Based on related languages, this is presumably /k͡𝼄/, allophonically [ɡ͡ʟ̝] (see voiceless velar lateral fricative).

Consonants[edit]

• Voiced plosives are usually prenasal, but may fluctuate in word-initial position as ordinary voiced stops [b, d, ɡ].
• Voiceless stops /p, t, k/ are always aspirated [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ] in word-initial position.
• /ɾ/ only occurs word-medially and word-finally. In word-final position it is heard as a trill [r].
• /s/ can be pronounced as [s], [ᵗs] in word-initial position.
• /w/ can be pronounced as [β] before front vowels /i, e/.
• /ʟ/ is heard as voiceless [ʟ̥] or fricative [𝼄], when preceding a consonant. It is heard as a voiced fricative [ʟ̝] when between vowels. It is also heard as an alveolar fricative [ɬ] before an /s/.^[4][5]

Vowels[edit]

• /a/ can be heard as either central [ä] or back [ɑ] in free variation.
• /e/ is pronounced as [ɛ] as a first vowel in a word.
• /o/ is pronounced in its lax form as [ɔ] before /ɾ/.

Syllable patterns[edit]

Syllable structure is (C)V(C). Any consonant can occur in onset position, but in coda position only /m/, /n/, /gɬ/, /l/ and /k/ can occur.^[6]

Grammar[edit]

Kuman is an SOV language.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2009)

Vocabulary[edit]

The following basic vocabulary words are from Salisbury (1956)^[7] and Trefry (1969),^[6] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:^[8]

gloss	Kuman
head	bit-na; bɩtiɩno
hair	iŋguno; yungo
ear	kina-na; kunano
eye	gumutino; ongomit-na
nose	guma-ne; gumano
tooth	siŋguno
tongue	dirambino
leg	kati; kat-na
louse	numan
dog	aʝg; agi; akɬ ̥
pig	bogla; bugɬa
bird	kua
egg	mugɬo; muɬo
blood	borɔmai; bořumai; maiam
bone	yambiřo; yombura
skin	gaŋgino
breast	amu-na; amuno
tree	endi
man	yagl; yakɬ ̥
woman	ambu
sun	ande; andesuŋgua
moon	ba
water	nigl; nikɬ ̥
fire	baugl; doŋga
stone	kombuglo; kombugɬo
road, path	konbo; konumbo
name	kaŋgin; kangi-ne
eat	neuŋgua
one	suařa
two	suo

References[edit]

1. ^ ^{a b c d} KumanatEthnologue (25th ed., 2022)

^ Kuman language (New Guinea)atEthnologue (15th ed., 2005)

Further reading[edit]

• Hardie, Peter. 2003. Is Kuman Tonal? An account of basic segmental and tonological structure in the Papuan language Kuman. MA thesis: Australian National University
• Dryer, Matthew S.; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Kuman". World Atlas of Language Structures Online. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

External links[edit]

• Kuman phonology and sample text
• Kaipuleohone has a Chimbu-Wahgi collection from Andrea L. Berez that includes Kuman language materials
• A number of collections in Paradisec include Kuman materials