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Kuman (also Chimbu or Simbu) is a language of Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea. In 1994, it was estimated that 80,000 people spoke Kuman, 10,000 of them monolinguals;[2] in the 2000 census, 115,000 were reported, with few monolinguals.[1] Ethnologue also reported 70,000 second language speakers in 2021.[1]
| Kuman | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Papua New Guinea |
| Region | Chimbu Province, from Kundiawa to beyond Kerowagi in the west and Gembogl in the north, at the foot of Mount Wilhelm |
Native speakers | 120,000 (2000 census)[1] L2: 70,000 (2021)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | kue |
| Glottolog | kuma1280 |
Like other Chimbu languages, Kuman has rather unusual lateral consonants. Besides the typical /l/, it has a "laterally released velar affricate" which is voiced medially and voiceless finally (and does not occur initially).[3] Based on related languages, this is presumably /k͡𝼄/, allophonically [ɡ͡ʟ̝] (see voiceless velar lateral fricative).
Consonants
- Voiced plosives are usually prenasal, but may fluctuate in word-initial position as ordinary voiced stops [b, d, ɡ].
- Voiceless stops /p, t, k/ are always aspirated [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ] in word-initial position.
- /ɾ/ only occurs word-medially and word-finally. In word-final position it is heard as a trill [r].
- /s/ can be pronounced as [s], [ᵗs] in word-initial position.
- /w/ can be pronounced as [β] before front vowels /i, e/.
- /ʟ/ is heard as voiceless [ʟ̥] or fricative [𝼄], when preceding a consonant. It is heard as a voiced fricative [ʟ̝] when between vowels. It is also heard as an alveolar fricative [ɬ] before an /s/.[4][5]
Vowels
Syllable patterns
Syllable structure is (C)V(C). Any consonant can occur in onset position, but in coda position only /m/, /n/, /gɬ/, /l/ and /k/ can occur.[6]
Kuman is an SOV language.
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The following basic vocabulary words are from Salisbury (1956)[7] and Trefry (1969),[6] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:[8]
| gloss | Kuman |
|---|---|
| head | bit-na; bɩtiɩno |
| hair | iŋguno; yungo |
| ear | kina-na; kunano |
| eye | gumutino; ongomit-na |
| nose | guma-ne; gumano |
| tooth | siŋguno |
| tongue | dirambino |
| leg | kati; kat-na |
| louse | numan |
| dog | aʝg; agi; akɬ ̥ |
| pig | bogla; bugɬa |
| bird | kua |
| egg | mugɬo; muɬo |
| blood | borɔmai; bořumai; maiam |
| bone | yambiřo; yombura |
| skin | gaŋgino |
| breast | amu-na; amuno |
| tree | endi |
| man | yagl; yakɬ ̥ |
| woman | ambu |
| sun | ande; andesuŋgua |
| moon | ba |
| water | nigl; nikɬ ̥ |
| fire | baugl; doŋga |
| stone | kombuglo; kombugɬo |
| road, path | konbo; konumbo |
| name | kaŋgin; kangi-ne |
| eat | neuŋgua |
| one | suařa |
| two | suo |
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