Mavea language

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Mavea (also known as Mav̈ea or Mafea) is an Oceanic language spoken on the island of Mavea in Vanuatu, off the eastern coast of Espiritu Santo. It belongs to the North–Central Vanuatu linkage of Southern Oceanic. The total population of the island is approximately 172, with only 34 fluent speakers of the Mavea language reported in 2008.[1]

Phonology

Mavea has 15 consonants and 8 vowels.[3]

Consonants[4]
Bilabial Labiodental Linguolabial Dental Alveolar Retroflex Velar
Stop p t̼ t ɖ k
Fricative v ð̼ s
Trill r
Nasal m n̼ n ŋ
Approximant w
Lateral l

Plosives in Mavea are not aspirated.[5]

Vowels[6]
i e a o u
High + +
Back + + +
Low +
Rounded + +

Orthography

Linguolabial consonants are represented using the corresponding labial consonant with a diaeresis diacritic on top: p̈ [t̼]; v̈ [ð̼]; m̈ [n̼].[7] The retroflex [ɖ] is represented in the orthography as d.

Morphology

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Mavea do not inflect for case or gender, but do show number (singular, dual, paucal, plural). First person non-singular has an inclusive/exclusive distinction. Independent personal pronouns are not obligatory, but are used for emphasis, contrast or focus.[8]

Person Number
Singular Plural Dual Paucal
1INC (n)ida darua/ô datol
1EXCL na(o) kam̋am kam̋arua/o kam̋atol
2 nno kam̋im kamruo/a kamtol
3 nna nira rarua/o ratol

Example:[9]

me ro nno me ko -l -suruv atano, na nao me ro ka suruv aul pere -n vuae
FUT then 2SG FUT 2SG -IMPF -sleep ground but 1SG FUT then 1SG.IR -sleep above branch -CONS tree
"You, you will sleep on the ground, but I, I will sleep in the tree"

Bound Pronouns

Bound pronouns are obligatory at the beginning of a predicate phrase. Only 1SG and 3SG inflect for mood.[10]

Subject Agreement Markers[11]

Person Number
Singular Plural Dual Paucal
Realis Irrealis Realis and Irrealis
1INC na- ka- da- dar- datol-
1EXCL ki- kir- kitol-
2 ko- ko- ki- kir- kitol-
3 mo- i- ra- rar- ratol

Object Enclitics[12]

Person Number
Singular Plural
1INC -ao (i)da
1EXCL -
2 -o -
3 -a (i)ra


Example:[13]

Varua nno ko-kolai=ao
bird 2SG 2SG-lie=1SG
"Cardinal, you lied to me"

Notes

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References

  • Guérin, Valérie (2008). Discovering Mavea: Grammar, texts, and lexicon. Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics, University of Hawai'i.
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External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Guérin 2008: p. 2
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Cf. Guérin 2011.
  4. ↑ Guérin 2008: p. 30
  5. ↑ Guérin 2008: p. 12
  6. ↑ Guérin 2008: p. 30
  7. ↑ Presentation of Mavea.
  8. ↑ Guérin 2008: p. 76
  9. ↑ Guérin 2008: p. 77
  10. ↑ Guérin 2008: p. 77
  11. ↑ Guérin 2008: p. 78
  12. ↑ Guérin 2008: p. 78
  13. ↑ Guérin 2008: p. 78
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