Language name and location: Rotokas, Papua New Guinea [Refer to Ethnologue]

言名称和分布地区罗托卡斯语, 巴布亚新几内亚布干维尔岛中部地区

 

1. katai

21.  eɾao tau katai

2. eɾao

22.  eɾao tau eɾao

3. (βo)peβa

23.  eɾao tau βopeβa

4. (βo)ɾesiuɾa

24.  eɾao tau βoɾesiuɾa

5. (βo)βaβae

25.  eɾao tau βoβaβae

6. katai βataɾa         

26.  eɾao tau katai βataɾa

7. eɾao βataɾa           

27.  eɾao tau eɾao βataɾa

8. (βo)peβa βataɾa     

28.  eɾao tau βopeβa βataɾa

9. (βo)ɾesiuɾa βataɾa   

29.  eɾao tau βoɾesiuɾa βataɾa

10. katai tau

30.  βopeβa tau

11. katai tau katai

40.  βoɾesiuɾa tau

12. katai tau eɾao

50.  βoβaβae tau

13. katai tau βopeβa

60.  katai βataɾa tau

14. katai tau βoɾesiuɾa

70.  eɾao βataɾa tau

15. katai tau βoβaβae

80.  βopeβa βataɾa tau

16. katai tau katai βataɾa

90.  βoɾesiuɾa βataɾa tau

17. katai tau eɾao βataɾa

100. katai βoβoto

18. katai tau βopeβa βataɾa

200. eɾao βoβoto

19. katai tau βoɾesiuɾa βataɾa

1000. katai kuku

20. eɾao tau

2000. eɾao kuku

  

Linguist providing data and dateː Mrs. Jackie Mansen (Mrs. Jackie Firchow), SIL International, Papua New Guinea, June 22, 2011.

提供资的语言: Mrs. Jackie Mansen, 2011 年 6 月 22 日.

 

Other comments: The Rotokas numbers from 6 to 9 involve the expression βatara which remains unclear. Then the system is purely decimal. The prefix βo-used in

numerals 3, 4 and 5 is only used with definite objects. βaβae ''five'' means also ''hand''. βoβoto '' hundred'' is similar to expression found in Austronesian languages in New Georgia Islands in Solomon Islands and is certainly a loan. The above data come from the Rotokas Proper dialect.

Rotokas is famous for possessing one of the world's smallest phoneme inventories. According to one source, the Central dialect of Rotokas possesses only 11 segmental phonemes (five vowels and six consonants) and lacks nasals while the Aita dialect possesses a similar-sized inventory in which nasals replace voiced stops. However, recent fieldwork reveals that the Aita dialect has, in fact, both voiced and nasal stops, making for an inventory of 14 segmental phonemes (five vowels and nine consonants). The correspondences between Central and Aita Rotokas suggest that the former is innovative with respect to its consonant inventory and the latter conservative, and that the small inventory of Central Rotokas arose by collapsing the distinction between voiced and nasal stops.

Rotokas Phonemic Chart:

Consonantsː 

 

Bilabial

Alveolar

Velar

Stops

p

t

k, ɡ

Fricatives

β

 

 

Flaps

 

     ɾ

 

 

Vowelsː

 

Front

Central

Back

High

i

 

u

Mid

e

 

o

Low

 

ɑ

 

 

Long vowels: /i:, e:, ɑː oː, uː/

Rotokas is famous for possessing one of the world's smallest phoneme inventories.

According to one source, the Central dialect of Rotokas possesses only 11 segmental

phonemes (five vowels and six consonants) and lacks nasals while the Aita dialect

possesses a similar-sized inventory in which nasals replace voiced stops. Rotokas is spoken by about 11,600 (2000 SIL) in Central Bougainville district, central mountains,
Bougainville province, Papua New Guinea. 


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