Kuman language (New Guinea)
Trans–New Guinea language spoken in Papua New Guinea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kuman (also Chimbu or Simbu) is a language of Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea. In 1994, it was estimated that 80,000 people spoke Kuman, 10,000 of them monolinguals;[2] in the 2000 census, 115,000 were reported, with few monolinguals.[1] Ethnologue also reported 70,000 second language speakers in 2021.[1]
NativetoPapua New Guinea
RegionChimbu Province, from Kundiawa to beyond Kerowagi in the west and Gembogl in the north, at the foot of Mount Wilhelm
| Kuman | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Papua New Guinea |
| Region | Chimbu Province, from Kundiawa to beyond Kerowagi in the west and Gembogl in the north, at the foot of Mount Wilhelm |
Native speakers | (120,000 cited 2000 census)[1] L2: 70,000 (2021)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | kue |
| Glottolog | kuma1280 |
Phonology
Consonants
- Voiced plosives are usually prenasal, but may fluctuate in word-initial position as ordinary voiced stops [b, d, ɡ].
- Voiceless stops /p, t, k/ are always aspirated [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ] in word-initial position.
- /ɾ/ only occurs word-medially and word-finally. In word-final position it is heard as a trill [r].
- /s/ can be pronounced as [s], [ᵗs] in word-initial position.
- /w/ can be pronounced as [β] before front vowels /i, e/.
- Like other Chimbu languages, Kuman has rather unusual lateral consonants. /ʟ/ is heard as voiceless velar lateral [ʟ̥] when preceding a consonant. It is also heard as a voiceless alveolar fricative [ɬ] before an /s/.[3][4] It may also be realized as a "laterally released velar affricate" (presumably [ɡʟ̝], found in other Papuan languages) which is voiced word medially and voiceless word finally (not occurring word initially).[5]
Vowels
Syllable patterns
Syllable structure is (C)V(C). Any consonant can occur in onset position, but in coda position only /m/, /n/, /gɬ/, /l/ and /k/ can occur.[6]
Grammar
Kuman is an SOV language.
Vocabulary
The following basic vocabulary words are from Salisbury (1956)[7] and Trefry (1969),[6] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:[8]
gloss Kuman head bit-na; bɩtiɩno hair iŋguno; yungo ear kina-na; kunano eye gumutino; ongomit-na nose guma-ne; gumano tooth siŋguno tongue dirambino leg kati; kat-na louse numan dog aʝg; agi; akɬ ̥ pig bogla; bugɬa bird kua egg mugɬo; muɬo blood borɔmai; bořumai; maiam bone yambiřo; yombura skin gaŋgino breast amu-na; amuno tree endi man yagl; yakɬ ̥ woman ambu sun ande; andesuŋgua moon ba water nigl; nikɬ ̥ fire baugl; doŋga stone kombuglo; kombugɬo road, path konbo; konumbo name kaŋgin; kangi-ne eat neuŋgua one suařa two suo
