Kele language (New Guinea)
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Kele or Gele’ is a language spoken in the easterly section of inland Manus Island, New Guinea.[1] Its name comes from the Kele word for "there".[2]
Phonology
The syllable structure of Kele is (C)V(C).
| Labial | Alveolar | Velar | Glottal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| plainScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | labializedScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | plainScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | labializedScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | ||||
| Nasal | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | ||
| Stop | voicelessScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link |
| voicedScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | |||||
| Fricative | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | |||||
| Approximant | Template:IPA link | Template:IPA link | |||||
| Rhotic | Template:IPA link | ||||||
| Lateral | Template:IPA link | ||||||
Script error: No such module "IPA". are often trilled [[[:Template:IPA link]] Template:IPA link]. Additionally, Script error: No such module "IPA". are prenasalized when not occurring before another consonant.
Kele has five vowels: Template:IPA link, Template:IPA link, Template:IPA link, Template:IPA link and Template:IPA link. Vowels can also be elongated. Ross (2002) describes this vowel length as non-phonemic, and instead as part of one of four different disyllabic patterns in words.[2] He also notes that no word contains more than one long vowel.[2]
Grammar
Kele has eleven pronouns, distinguishing first person inclusive and exclusive pronouns as well as dual and plural number. Different versions of each pronoun can be prefixed to show the subject and suffixed to show possession. Nearly all verbs require a preceding subject prefix; however, a few verbs instead require a possessor suffix to indicate the subject.
Sample vocabulary
Nouns
| Word | Gloss |
|---|---|
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | bed |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | road |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | house |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | stone |
Verbs
| Word | Gloss |
|---|---|
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | learn |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | teach |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | die |
| Script error: No such module "Lang". | kill |
References
External links
- Kaipuleohone's Robert Blust collection includes notes on Kele
Template:Languages of Papua New Guinea Template:Admiralty Islands languages