Lakon language

Lakon is an Oceanic language, spoken on the west coast of Gaua island in Vanuatu.

Lakon
Lakona, Vure
Pronunciation[laˈkɔn]
Native toVanuatu
RegionGaua
Native speakers
800 (2012)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3lkn
Glottologlako1245
ELPLakon
Lakon is classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Names

The language name Lakon [laˈkɔn] refers originally to the area where it is spoken ‒ namely Lakona Bay, corresponding to the west coast of Gaua. The alternative name Lakona [lakona] is from the Mota language. These names are derived from a Proto-Torres-Banks form *laᵑgona, of unknown meaning.

Lakon had four dialects, named Qatareu (Qätärew [k​͡pʷætæˈrɛw]), Vure (Vurē [βuˈrɪ]), Toglatareu, and Togla.

Phonology

Consonants

Lakon has 16 phonemic consonants.[2]

Lakon consonants
Labiovelar Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Dorsal Glottal
Plosive k͡pʷ q p p t t j k k
Nasal ŋ͡mʷ m m n n ŋ
Fricative β ~ ɸ v s s ɣ g h h
Rhotic r r
Lateral l l
Approximant w w

The glottal stop [ʔ] only occurs before vowels in syllable-initial position. While non-phonemic, it is sometimes noted in the orthography, using a mark.

Vowels

Lakon has 16 phonemic vowels. These include 8 short /i ɪ ɛ æ a ɔ ʊ u/ and 8 long vowels /iː ɪː ɛː æː aː ɔː ʊː uː/.[2] [3]

Lakon vowels
 FrontBack
Near-close i i iiu u uu
Close-mid ɪ ēɪː ēēʊ ōʊː ōō
Open-mid ɛ eɛː eeɔ oɔː oo
Near-open æ äæː ää 
Open a a aa

Historically, the phonemicisation of vowel length originates in the compensatory lengthening of short vowels when the alveolar trill /r/ was lost syllable-finally. This is considered to be a very recent change, perhaps within the last century, as Codrington still indicates the trill syllable-finally[4]

Grammar

The system of personal pronouns in Lakon contrasts clusivity, and distinguishes four numbers (singular, dual, trial, plural).[5]

Spatial reference in Lakon is based on a system of geocentric (absolute) directionals, which is typical of Oceanic languages.[6]

References

Bibliography

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.