Sepik Iwam, or Yawenian, is a language of Papua New Guinea. It is the lexical basis of the Hauna trade pidgin.
| Sepik Iwam | |
|---|---|
| Yawenian | |
| Region | East Sepik Province |
Native speakers | 2,500 (2000 census)[1] |
Sepik
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | iws |
| Glottolog | sepi1255 |
| ELP | Sepik Iwam |
| Coordinates: 4.291°S 142.01°E | |
| Hauna pidgin | |
|---|---|
| Region | East Sepik Province |
Native speakers | None |
Iwam-based pidgin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis) |
| Glottolog | haun1238 |
It is spoken in villages such as Iniok (4.291°S 142.01°E) in Tunap/Hunstein Rural LLG of East Sepik Province.[2][3]
Phonology
Pronouns
Sepik Iwam pronouns:[4]: 282
| singular | dual | plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | ka | kərar | kəram | |
| 2nd person | kə | kow | kom | |
| 3rd person | masculine | si | sow | səm |
| feminine | sa | |||
Grammar
Sepik Iwam subject agreement suffixes are:[4]
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | *-ən | *-o | *-əm |
| feminine | *-a |
The structure of this subject agreement paradigm can be traced back to Proto-Sepik, although the morphemes themselves do not seem to be directly related to the reconstructed Proto-Sepik forms. (See also Sepik languages#Gender.)
Like May River Iwam, Sepik Iwam has periodic tense, for instance the matutinal -iyakwok.[5][6]
References
Further reading
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