Telefol language

Telefol is a language spoken by the Telefol people in Papua New Guinea, notable for possessing a base-27 numeral system.

History

The Iligimin people also spoke Telefol, but they were defeated by the Telefol proper.

Orthography

Telefol alphabetTemplate:Sfn

Phonemic
Lowercase	a	aa	e	e	i	ii	o	o	u	uu	b, p	d, g	f	k, g	kw	l	m	n	ng	s	t	w	y
Uppercase	A	Aa	E		I	Ii	O		U	Uu	B	D	F	K	Kw		M	N		S	T	W	Y

Single Template:Angbr and Template:Angbr represent both their single and long vowels, since they rarely contrast.

is written Template:Angbr pre-consonantally and word-finally.

Single is written Template:Angbr intervocalically, and is written Template:Angbr intervocalically.

and are written Template:Angbr and Template:Angbr (since they're pronounced and respectively).

Initial is also written with Template:Angbr in loan words, e.g., 'God'.

Phonology

Consonants

ConsonantsTemplate:Sfn

	Labial	Dental	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	(Glottal)
Nasal	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink			Template:IPAlink
Plosive	(Template:IPAlink) Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink			Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink (Template:IPAlink)	(Template:IPAlink)
Fricative	Template:IPAlink	Template:IPAlink				(Template:IPAlink)
Lateral			Template:IPAlink
Semivowel	Template:IPAlink			Template:IPAlink

and only appear in a few particles and some exclamations. and only appear in a few loans.

AllophonesTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Phoneme(s)	Condition	Allophone
	intervocalic
	syllable-final
	free-variation
	intervocalic
	intervocalic
	(everywhere)
	(everywhere)

Vowels

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink		Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink
Mid	Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink		Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink
Open		Template:IPAlink Template:IPAlink

There are two contrastive phonemic tones in Telefol, high and low. For example, 'club' vs. 'planted'.

and , and , are nearly in complementary distribution. Also, single and don't occur in one-syllable words or in terminal syllables.

Vowel length only contrasts in initial syllables. However, in initial syllables single and , and and , don't contrast.

Phonotactics

Syllable structure is (C)V(ː)(C).

does not occur word-initially.

is allowed in medial, but not word-initial, onsets.

Grammar

Telefol is a subject–object–verb language.

Verbal aspect

Telefol has a rich aspectual system. Telefol verbs have "punctiliar" (momentary/completed) and "continuative" stems.Template:Sfn

Counting system

Telefol uses a base-27 counting system. This is mapped onto the body by counting each of the following: the left pinky to the left thumb (1-5); the wrist, lower arm, elbow, upper arm, and shoulder (6-10); the side of the neck, ear, and left eye (11-13); the nose (14); and similarly on the right side in reverse order, from the right eye to the right pinky (15-27).

Kinship

Telefol has dyadic kinship terms (terms referring to the relationship two or more people have to each other), which are uncommon in the world's languages and not prevalent in Papua New Guinea. However, they are a salient feature of the Ok languages. Related terms are found in Oksapmin, Mian, and Tifal.

Evolution

Below are some reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea proposed by Pawley (2012):

proto-Trans-New Guinea	Telefol
*m(o,u)k ‘milk, sap, breast’	müük, mɔk ‘spittle’
*maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’	(Faiwol makat-kalim ‘whiskers’)
*maŋgV ‘compact round object’	magap ‘round object, fruit, seed, etc’’
*m(i,u)ndu ‘nose’	mutu ‘nose’
*k(o,u)ma(n,ŋ)[V] ‘neck, nape’	kum ‘left side of neck’
*kumut, *tumuk ‘thunder’	tumuun ‘thunder’
*niman ‘louse’	tim ‘louse’
*kal(a,i)m ‘moon’	kaliim ‘moon’
*k(i,u)tuma ‘night, morning’	kutim ‘morning’
*na ‘1SG’	na-
*ni, *nu ‘1PL’	nu
*mbena ‘arm’	ban ‘forearm’
*[w]ani ‘who?’	wan(tap), waan(ta) ‘who?’
*pVnum ‘wind’	inim
*kinV ‘shoulder’	tiŋ (Faiwal kiiŋ)
*mbilaŋ ‘tongue’	fɔŋ (cf. Faiwol falaŋ, Tifal filaŋ)
*mbena ‘arm’	ban ‘forearm’
*amba ‘sibling’	baab
*(kambu)-sumbu ‘ashes’	(ku)-tab
*mbilaŋ ‘tongue’	foŋ (Tifal filaŋ)
*(mb,p)ututu- ‘to fly’	(?) fúlúluú (+ V.)
*pVnum ‘wind’	(?) inim
*m(i,u)ndu ‘nose’	mutuum
*kumut, *tumuk ‘thunder’	tumuun
*k(i,u)tuma ‘night, morning’	kutim
*ŋgatu(k,n) ‘knee’	katuun
*k(a,e)(nd,t)ak ‘neck’	ditak (Faiwal getak)
*saŋ ‘story, song’	saŋ ‘myth, story’
*sumbu ‘ashes’	(ku-)tab
*maŋgV ‘compact round object’	(úún) makáb ‘egg’
*maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’	(Faiwal makat-kalim ‘whiskers (lit. chin-hair)’)
*kal(a,i)m ‘moon’	kaliim
*k(o,u)ma(n,ŋ)[V] ‘neck, nape’	kum ‘left side of neck’
*k(o,u)ndVC ‘bone’	kun
*kutV(mb,p)(a,u)[C] ‘long’	(Kati M. kudub)
*kinV ‘shoulder’	tiŋ-
*m(o,u)k ‘milk, sap, breast’	múúk
*ok[V] ‘water’	óók
*(ŋg,k)a(nd,t)apu ‘skin, bark’	káál
*kal(a,i)m ‘moon’	*kaliim

See also

• Ok languages

External links

• Telefol on globalrecordings.net
• WALS - Telefol
• PNG Language Resources: Telefol information
• Paradisec has a number of collections that include Telefol language materials.