Mambai language (Timor)

Mambai, also called Mambae or Manbae, is a language spoken by the Mambai people, the second largest ethnic group in the island country of East Timor.

Not to be confused with Mambai language (Cameroon), Mambaí, or Mumbai.
Mambai
RegionEast Timor
Native speakers
130,000 (2010 census)[1]
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3mgm
Glottologmamb1306
ELPMambae
Distribution of Mambai mother-tongue speakers in East Timor
An illustration of Tetum language (left), Mambai language (center) and Portuguese language (right) being compared to one another.

Geographic distribution

Mambai is one of 15 constitutionally recognized national languages. The main centers of Mambai are Ermera, Aileu, Remexio, Turiscai, Maubisse Administrative Post, Ainaro Administrative Post and Same Administrative Post. The majority of the Timorese community in Australia is native in Mambai.

Mambai used to be spoken in the area around Dili, when the Portuguese declared the city to be the capital of their colony Portuguese Timor. Therefore, the Tetum Prasa spoken in Dili is still exhibiting strong influences from its Mambai substrate.[2]

Phonology

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Velar Glottal
Nasal m n
Plosive voiceless p t k
voiced b d ɡ
Fricative f s h
Trill r
Approximant l
  • /r, h, k/ can also be heard as [ɾ, ħ, ʔ].
  • /p, k/ can also be heard as aspirated [pʰ, kʰ].
  • /d/ is also heard as a voiced post-alveolar stop [d̠].
  • /t/ is slightly aspirated [tʰ] before mid and low vowels. /t/ can also have an allophone [ts] when preceding high vowels.[3]
  • The plosives /p, b, t, d, k/ are unreleased [p̚, b̚, t̚, d̚, k̚] in word-final position.[4]

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i u
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a
  • /i, u/ can also have shortened allophones [ɪ, ʊ].[5][6]
Diphthongs
Front Central
Close ai au
Mid ei ae ao

Dialects

Mambae can be divided into three dialects according to Fogaça (2017):[7]: 82 

Northwest
  • Liquiça: Bazartete
  • Ermera: Hatulia
  • Ermera: Railaco
Northeast-Central
  • Aileu: Laulara
  • Aileu: Vila Grupo
  • Aileu: Liquidoe
  • Ainaro: Hatu-Builico
South
  • Ainaro: Hato-Udo
  • Manufahi-Same: Letefoho
  • Manufahi-Same: Betano


Examples of dialectal variation in Mambae:[7]

Numerals
NumeralNortheast-CentralNorthwestSouth
1 iidiidiid
2 ruuruuruu
3 teulteulteul
4 faatpaatfaat/paat
5 liimliimliim
6 neenhohon iidliim nai-ida
7 hituhohon ruuliim nai-rua
8 ualuhoho teulliim nai-telu
9 siahoho paatliim nai-fata/pata
10 saguulsakuulsaguul
20 rua nuulguul ruu(saguul) haet rua
30 teul nuulguul teul(saguul) haet teul
40 faat nuulguul paat(saguul) haet faat/paat
50 lima nuulguul liim(saguul) haet liim
Pronouns
PronounNortheast-CentralNorthwestSouth
1.SG auauau
2.SG iitiitiit
3.SG uauaura
1.PL, inclusive iitiitiit
1.PL, exclusive aemaemaem
2.PL iimiimiim
3.PL roorooroom
Lexicon
GlossNortheast-CentralNorthwestSouth
'house' padafadauum
'short' blokopadabada
'wet' broetitaera
'dirty' kiniriraefoer
'many' dotoklenrini
'lie (fib)' bearauhalaet
'eat' muamuuaa
'banana' mukamuamuu

Comparison of selected body part words in Mambae dialects:[7]

glossLiquiça (Bazartete)Ermera (Hatulia)Ermera (Railaco)Aileu (Laulara)Aileu (Vila Grupo)Aileu (Liquidoe)Ainaro (Hatu-Builico)Ainaro (Hato-Udo)Manufahi-Same (Letefoho)Manufahi-Same (Betano)
mouthgugungugungugunkukunkukunkukunkukunkukukukukuku
armlimanlimanlimannimannimanlimalimanlimalimalima
elbowlima sikunliman sikunsiunnima siunnima siunlima siunlima siunlima sikunlima sikulima siku
shoulderkabaːskabasankabasankabaːskabasakabasakabaːslabaːskabaːsau balaːs
headgnutanglutanulunulunulunulunglutanuluulu hatuulu
headachegnutan baːnglutan baːnglutan baːnulun baːnulun baːnglutan baːnglutan baːnulu hatusaeulu hatusaeulu hatusae
hairulu nɔɾanulu launulunulun lahonulu nɔɾaulun noranulunuluuluulu noɾa
black hairulu metaulu metaulu metaulun metaulu nɔɾa mɛtaulun metaulun metaulu metaulu mɛtaulu laha meta
flesh (human)ɛta lɔlonetanetanetanɛtanetanɛtaneta lɔloɛta lɔloeta lolo
hearthuahuanhuanhuanhuanhuanhuanhuahuahua
backhɔhon tɛtenhoho tetenhɔhonhoho tɛtenhɔhonhoho tɛtenasahɔhohɔhɔ tɛtehoho
toothnipannipannipannifannifannifannifannipanifanifa
fingerlima huanlima huanlima huannima huanlima huanlima kakunlima huanlima hualima hualima hua
liveratenatenatenatenatenatenatenateateate
tonguelamalaunlamalaunlamalaulamalaunlamanlamalaunlamelaunlamalamalama
handlimanlimanlimannimannimanlimanlimanlimalima sanaklima
noseiluiluniluninuninuniluninuniluiluilu
eyematanmatanmatanmatanmatanmatanmatanmatamatamata
earteligatligantligakikankika nɔɾantika noɾankikanteligateligateliga
boneruiruinruinruinruinruinruinruiruirui
footɔenoenɔenɔɛnɔɛnɔɛnɔɛnoeɔɛoɛ
skinlitaneta litanlitanlitanlitanlitanlitantiatiaeta tia
legɔenoenɔenɔɛnɔɛnɔɛnɔɛnoeɔɛoɛ
necktgeuntgeuntgeuntgeuntgeunkdeuntgeutegeutegeu
bloodlaɾalaɾalaɾalaɾanlaɾalalanlaɾanlaːrlaralaːr

References
  1. Mambai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Hull, Geoffrey (24 August 2004). "The Languages of East Timor: Some Basic facts". Instituto Nacional de Linguística. Archived from the original on 16 July 2006.
  3. Hull, Geoffrey (2003). Southern Mambai. Instituto Nacional de Linguística of the Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa'e.
  4. Fogaça (2013)
  5. I Nengah Sukarnyana; I Made Denes; I Wayan Sudiartha; Ni Wayan Sudiati (1997). Struktur Bahasa Mambai [Mambai Language Structure] (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa. ISBN 979-459-777-5 – via repositori.kemdikbud.go.id.
  6. Hull, Geoffrey (2001). Mambai Language Manual (Ainaro dialect). Dili: Sebastião Aparício da Silva Project.
  7. Fogaça (2017)

Further reading
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