Central Asmat language
Papuan language of West New Guinea
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Central Asmat is a Papuan language of West New Guinea, spoken by the Asmat people.
NativetoIndonesia
RegionAsmat Regency, South Papua
EthnicityAsmat people
Native speakers
(7,000 cited 1972)[1]2,000 Yaosakor (1991), perhaps counted above
| Central Asmat | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Indonesia |
| Region | Asmat Regency, South Papua |
| Ethnicity | Asmat people |
Native speakers | (7,000 cited 1972)[1] 2,000 Yaosakor (1991), perhaps counted above |
Trans–New Guinea
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | cns – inclusive codeIndividual code: asy – Yaosakor Asmat |
| Glottolog | cent2247 |
Dialects
Central Asmat has a number of dialects, which are:[2]
- Keenok
- Sokoni
- Keenakap
- Kawenak (subdialects: Simai, Kainak, Mismam, Mecemup)
Yaosakor Asmat, assigned its own ISO code, is a variety of Central Asmat, not a distinct language.
Phonology
Consonants
- /p/ can be heard as a fricative [ɸ] when in intervocalic positions, as [pʷ] in the speech of older speakers when preceding /e/.
- /tʃ/ can be heard as a palatalized [tʲ] when in word-final positions following /i/.
- /k/ can be heard as a fricative [x] when following a vowel and preceding a consonant.
- /s/ can be heard as fricatives [θ] or [ʃ] among some older speakers.
- /r/ can be heard as a flap [ɾ] in word-medial and word-final positions.
- /ʝ/ can be heard as [dʒ] or [j] in word-initial positions.
- Nasals /m, n/ may fluctuate to voiced stops [b, d] in word-initial positions, and as prenasal stops [ᵐb, ⁿd] when in syllable-initial positions.[3]