Buna language

Buna is a Torricelli language of Marienberg Rural LLG, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.

Buna
Native toPapua New Guinea
RegionMarienberg Rural LLG, East Sepik Province
Native speakers
750 (2003)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3bvn
Glottologbuna1277
ELPBuna

There are two dialects. One dialect is spoken in Kasmin (4.018975°S 144.060235°E / -4.018975; 144.060235 (Kasmin 1)), Boig (3.84861°S 144.054923°E / -3.84861; 144.054923 (Boik)), Waskurin (3.870089°S 144.068112°E / -3.870089; 144.068112 (Waskurin)), and Arapang (3.88039°S 144.073217°E / -3.88039; 144.073217 (Ariapan)) villages, and another in Masan, Mangan (3.953676°S 144.239463°E / -3.953676; 144.239463 (Mangan)), and Garien villages.[1][2]

Morphology

Buna has four noun classes. Noun class concord affixes in Buna are shown in the following examples.[3]

Class 1
singular (masculine)plural (masculine)

uri

person.CL1.SG

gaba-re

big-CL1.SG

do-ko-n

CL1.SG.SBJ-go-CL1.SG

uri gaba-re do-ko-n

person.CL1.SG big-CL1.SG CL1.SG.SBJ-go-CL1.SG

‘The big man went.’

oret

person.CL1.PL

gaba-bwe

big-CL1.PL

bo-ko-m

CL1.PL.SBJ-go-CL1.PL

oret gaba-bwe bo-ko-m

person.CL1.PL big-CL1.PL CL1.PL.SBJ-go-CL1.PL

‘The big men went.’

Class 2
singular (feminine)plural (feminine)

uri

person.CL2.SG

gaba-gwe

big-CL2.SG

go-ko-ŋ

CL2.SG.SBJ-go-CL2.SG

uri gaba-gwe go-ko-ŋ

person.CL2.SG big-CL2.SG CL2.SG.SBJ-go-CL2.SG

‘The big woman went.’

oret

person.CL2.PL

gaba-ʔe

big-CL2.PL

e-ko

CL2.PL.SBJ-go

oret gaba-ʔe e-ko

person.CL2.PL big-CL2.PL CL2.PL.SBJ-go

‘The big women went.’

Class 3
singular (class III)plural (class III)

wan

banana.CL3.SG

gaba-re

big-CL3.SG

na-ti-n

CL3.SG.SBJ-fall-CL3.SG

wan gaba-re na-ti-n

banana.CL3.SG big-CL3.SG CL3.SG.SBJ-fall-CL3.SG

‘A big banana fell down.’

wan

banana.CL3.PL

gaba-we

big-CL3.PL

u-ti-u

CL3.PL.SBJ-fall-CL3.PL

wan gaba-we u-ti-u

banana.CL3.PL big-CL3.PL CL3.PL.SBJ-fall-CL3.PL

‘Big bananas fell down.’

Class 4
singular (class IV)plural (class IV)

kwala

netbag.CL4.SG

gaba-le

big-CL4.SG

li-ti-l

CL4.SG.SBJ-fall-CL4.SG

kwala gaba-le li-ti-l

netbag.CL4.SG big-CL4.SG CL4.SG.SBJ-fall-CL4.SG

‘A big netbag fell down.’

kwala

netbag.CL4.PL

gaba-be

big-CL4.PL

-t-əm

CL4.PL.SBJ-fall-CL4.PL

kwala gaba-be -t-əm

netbag.CL4.PL big-CL4.PL CL4.PL.SBJ-fall-CL4.PL

‘Some big netbags fell down.’

References

  1. Buna at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) closed access
  2. United Nations in Papua New Guinea (2018). "Papua New Guinea Village Coordinates Lookup". Humanitarian Data Exchange. 1.31.9.
  3. Foley, William A. (2018). "The Languages of the Sepik-Ramu Basin and Environs". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 197–432. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
  • Paradisec houses a collection of Arthur Capell's materials that include Boiken (AC2) as well as recordings by Bill Foley (WF3) and notebooks from Don Laycock's work (DL2). All of these collections are open access.
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