Anuta language
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The Anuta language (or Anutan, locally te taranga paka-Anuta) is a Polynesian Outlier language from the island of Anuta in the Solomon Islands. It is closely related to the Tikopia language of the neighboring island of Tikopia, and it bears significant cultural influence from the island. The two languages have a high degree of mutual intelligibility, although Anutans can understand Tikopians better than the reverse.[1]Template:Rp
Anuta is generally regarded as Nuclear Polynesian language, although it bears considerable Tongic influence.[2]
In 1977, Richard Feinberg published a two-volume dictionary and basic grammar of the language.
Phonology
Anuta has an extremely small consonant inventory. This is as a result of several phoneme mergers such as /f/ with /p/ and /s/ with /t/.[1]Template:Rp
- fafine → Script error: No such module "Lang". (women, female)
- vasa → Script error: No such module "Lang". (open sea, ocean)
- lahi → Script error: No such module "Lang". (big) [3]
The allophonic variation is one of the Tikopian influences.[3]
Vowels have a short and long form.[1]Template:Rp The length of a vowel makes a difference in phonetics and meaning in Polynesian languages, and may be written with vowel gemination ⟨aa⟩ or with a macron above ⟨ā⟩.[4]
- Script error: No such module "Lang". (husband) vs. Script error: No such module "Lang". (elderly person) vs. Script error: No such module "Lang". (parent)
- Script error: No such module "Lang". (man) vs. Script error: No such module "Lang". (men) vs. Script error: No such module "Lang". (brother-in-law)
In other times, long vowels are to emphasis.[4]
- Script error: No such module "Lang". (great, extreme) → Script error: No such module "Lang".
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | |
| Close-mid | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | |
| Open | Template:IPA link |
The stress in Anutan normally falls on the first syllable.[3]
The ākamana Polynesian syllabary for Anutan appears like this:
a e i o u a ā ē ī ō ū k ka ke ki ko ku m ma me mi mo mu n na ne ni no nu ŋ ŋa ŋe ŋi ŋo ŋu p pa pe pi po pu r ra re ri ro ru t ta te ti to tu v va ve vi vo vu
- ⟨ŋ⟩ may be substituted by either ⟨ng⟩ or ⟨g⟩ for typographical reasons.
Morphology
Anuta shows many morphological similarities with Futunic languages and are related to Polynesian morphology.[3]
Grammar
Anuta follows the word order SVO.[3] PAV (patient-verb-agent) ergative constructions are also common.
Anuta distinguishes personal pronouns into 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person and single, dual, and plural.[1] Dual and plural 1st person are separated into exclusive and inclusive categories which depends on the words placement in the sentence.
2nd person pronouns should always be attached with either the particles ko, e, mo, or te.
When the pronoun is standing alone, usually in a response of a question, it is attached with the particle ko.[1]
- Script error: No such module "Lang". ("who is it?")
- Script error: No such module "Lang". ("it is I")
| singular | dual | plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person | exclusive | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". |
| inclusive | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | ||
| 2nd person | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | |
| 3rd person | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | |
Similar to personal pronouns, possessive pronouns are divided into 1st, 2nd and 3rd person, single, dual and plural. Dual and plural also being separated into exclusive and inclusive. However, whether the object is singular or plural will change the singular form of the pronouns.[1]
| singular | dual | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular object | plural object | ||||
| 1st person | exclusive | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". |
| inclusive | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | |||
| 2nd person | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | |
| 3rd person | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Script error: No such module "Lang". | |
Two ways of possessive construction. One, the possessive pronoun is directly attached to the object or two, directly attached to the dual or plural forms.
In singular possessive pronouns, when the object changes from singular to plural the /t/ drops.[1]
- Script error: No such module "Lang". ("my brother) → Script error: No such module "Lang". ("my brothers")
- Script error: No such module "Lang". ("your garden") → Script error: No such module "Lang". ("your gardens")
Verbs
Any of the verbs in Anutan can be used as a noun by attaching "te".
- infinitive = Script error: No such module "Lang".
- future = Script error: No such module "Lang".
- present = Script error: No such module "Lang".
- past indicative = Script error: No such module "Lang".
- perfect = Script error: No such module "Lang".
These tense markers may be attached to verbs without personal pronouns.[1] Usually placed between the noun and the verb.
If time is unimportant in the context of the sentence, tense markers will be dropped.
Numerals
Numbers in Anuta are usually with tense markers.[1]
Anutan use decimal counting systems. Tens use the same unit term Script error: No such module "Lang". making 'twenty' Script error: No such module "Lang"., 'thirty' Script error: No such module "Lang". and so forth. After tens, the number indicated in the tens are marked with Script error: No such module "Lang". meaning 'and'. Eleven would be Script error: No such module "Lang". meaning 'ten and one'. The same goes for twenty's, thirty's, etc.[1]
If the object of counting are humans the word Script error: No such module "Lang". will be placed in front of the number if it is enumerated.[1]
- Script error: No such module "Lang". = One man
- Script error: No such module "Lang". = two men
Counting fish would be marked with Script error: No such module "Lang". but is limited to ten or more.[1]
- Script error: No such module "Lang". = Ten fish
- Script error: No such module "Lang". = Fifty-nine fish
| Anuta | English |
|---|---|
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | one |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | two |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | three |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | four |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | five |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | six |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | seven |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | eight |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | nine |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | ten |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | eleven |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | twelve |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | twenty |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | thirty |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | hundred |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | one thousand |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". |
Resources
A 200-word word list is available at the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database.[5]
References
- Feinberg, Richard. 1977. The Anutan Language Reconsidered: Lexicon and Grammar of a Polynesian Outlier. Two Volumes. HRAFlex Books. New Haven: Human Relations Area Files Press.
Notes
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Template:Languages of the Solomon Islands Template:Polynesian languages Template:Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages