Bauni language

Bauni is a language spoken in Barupu (Warapu) village (3.071595°S 142.057463°E / -3.071595; 142.057463 (Barupu)) of West Aitape Rural LLG, Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.[2][3]

Bauni
Warapu
Barupu
RegionSandaun Province, Papua New Guinea
Native speakers
300 (2000)[1]
Skou
Language codes
ISO 639-3bpe
Glottologwara1302
ELPWarapu (shared)
Coordinates: 3.071595°S 142.057463°E / -3.071595; 142.057463 (Barupu)

The alternative name Barupu or Warapu, from the name of the Bauni village, has been applied to related languages as well, and 'Warapu' may be retained as a cover term.

Phonology

Bauni has 9 consonants and 6 vowels.[4]

Bauni consonants
Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Labial-velar
Plosive p b t k
Nasal m n
Trill r
Approximant j w

Consonants may undergo lenition, fortition, palatalization, or assimilation to produce a larger number of surface phonemes.

Bauni vowels
Front Central Back
Close i u
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɔ
Open a

Words belong to one of five tone classes: H, L, LH, HL, HLH.

Syllables have the following form: (C)(G)V(G)(N), where (G) represents a glide and (N) represents a nasal. There are no syllables that have the maximum possible form of CGVGN.

Morphology

Verbs belong to one of four classes that differ in terms of what morphology may be applied and how. Verbs are obligatorily marked for mood - either realis (/k-/) or irrealis (/n-/) - and for subject. Certain classes of verbs require objects to be marked as well.[4]

k-opu-jara-ni

REAL-2PL.M-see-1SG.F

k-opu-jara-ni

REAL-2PL.M-see-1SG.F

You see me.

Lexicon

Bauni free pronouns are distinguished on the basis of person, gender, and number.[4]

singular dual plural
1st M něná měpí měmí
F nění
2nd M měmá mǒpú / běvé
F mǒmú
3rd M yéi / rěré
F

Syntax

Clauses in Bauni employ Agent-Patient-Verb word order. Recipients, instruments, and other oblique noun phrases typically follow the verb.[4]

Intransitive verb

Kuáni

mother

k-o-kôe

REAL-3SG.F-go.up

Kuáni k-o-kôe

mother REAL-3SG.F-go.up

Mother went up.

Transitive verb

Kuáni

mother

aka

father

k-o-yarâ-ká

REAL-3SG.F-see-3SG.M

Kuáni aka k-o-yarâ-ká

mother father REAL-3SG.F-see-3SG.M

Mother saw father.

Ditransitive verb

Cha

Cha

Meniri

Meniri

bá=va

fish=PRM

k-a-r-o-a

REAL-3SG.M-3SG.M-give-3SG.M

nâkí

dog

Cha Meniri bá=va k-a-r-o-a nâkí

Cha Meniri fish=PRM REAL-3SG.M-3SG.M-give-3SG.M dog

Cha Meniri gave the dog-spirit a fish.

References

  1. Bauni at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2019). "Papua New Guinea languages". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (22nd ed.). Dallas: SIL International.
  3. United Nations in Papua New Guinea (2018). "Papua New Guinea Village Coordinates Lookup". Humanitarian Data Exchange. 1.31.9.
  4. Corris, Miriam (2005). A grammar of Barupu: a language of Papua New Guinea (Ph.D. thesis). University of Sydney. hdl:2123/3655.
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