Mwerlap language
Austronesian language spoken in Vanuatu From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mwerlap is an Oceanic language spoken in the south of the Banks Islands in Vanuatu.
Its 1,100 speakers live mostly in Merelava and Merig, but a fair proportion have also settled on the east coast of Gaua island.[2] Besides, a number of Mwerlap speakers live in the two cities of Vanuatu, Port Vila and Luganville.
The language has been studied by Alexandre François, and more recently by Agnès Henri.[3]
Name
The language is named after Mwerlap, the native name of Merelava island.
Phonology
Mwerlap has 12 phonemic vowels. These include 9 monophthongs /i ɪ ɛ ʉ ɵ ɞ ʊ ɔ a/,[4] and 3 diphthongs /ɛ͡a ɔ͡ɞ ʊ͡ɵ/.[5]
Grammar
The system of personal pronouns in Mwerlap contrasts clusivity, and distinguishes three numbers (singular, dual, plural).[6]
Spatial reference in Mwerlap is based on a system of geocentric (absolute) directionals.[8] That system is partly typical of Oceanic languages, and yet innovative.[9]
References
Bibliography
External links
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