Rumu language
| Rumu | |
|---|---|
| Kairi | |
| Region | Papua New Guinea |
Native speakers | (700 cited 1990)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | klq |
| Glottolog | rumu1243 |
Rumu (Rumuwa), or Kairi (Kai-Iri), is a Papuan language of Papua New Guinea. Other names for it are Dumu (Tumu) and Kibiri.
Phonology
[edit]| Labial | Alveolar | Dorsal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | p | t | k |
| Fricative | (s) | h | |
| Nasal | m | n | |
| Approximant | w | r | j |
- /r/ is pronounced [l] when word-initial and before /É a É/.
- /w/ is [ÎČ] before /i e É/.
- /s/ only occurs in loanwords.
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i | u | |
| Mid-high | e âšĂ«â© | o âšĂ¶â© | |
| Mid-low | É | É | |
| Low | a |
| -i | -e | -É | -a | -É | -u | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i- | ia | iÉ | ||||
| e- | (ei) | ea | eÉ | |||
| É- | Éi | Éa | Éu | |||
| a- | ai | ae | aÉ | au | ||
| o- | (oi) | oe | oa | |||
| É- | Éi | ÉÉ | Éa | Éu | ||
| u- | [ui] | uÉ |
- /ei/ has merged to [i] for many speakers.
- /oi/ has shifted to [ui] for many speakers.
Additionally, Rumu is tonal, distinguishing four tones: falling âšĂ â©, rising âšĂĄâ©, peaking âšĂąâ©, and level âšÄâ©.[2]
References
[edit]
