Mambai language (Timor)
Austronesian language in East Timor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mambai, also called Mambae or Manbae, is a language spoken by the Mambai people, the second largest ethnic group in the island country of East Timor.
RegionEast Timor
Native speakers
130,000 (2010 census)[1]Austronesian
-
Malayo-Polynesian
- Central–Eastern
- Central Timor
- Nuclear Central Timor
- Mambai
- Nuclear Central Timor
- Central Timor
- Central–Eastern
Recognised minority
languagein
languagein
| Mambai | |
|---|---|
| Region | East Timor |
Native speakers | 130,000 (2010 census)[1] |
Austronesian
| |
| Official status | |
Recognised minority language in | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | mgm |
| Glottolog | mamb1306 |
| ELP | Mambae |
Distribution of Mambai mother-tongue speakers in East Timor | |
Geographic distribution
Mambai is one of 15 constitutionally recognized national languages. The main centers of Mambai are Ermera, Aileu, Remexio, Turiscai, Maubisse Administrative Post, Ainaro Administrative Post and Same Administrative Post. The majority of the Timorese community in Australia is native in Mambai.
Mambai used to be spoken in the area around Dili, when the Portuguese declared the city to be the capital of their colony Portuguese Timor. Therefore, the Tetum Prasa spoken in Dili is still exhibiting strong influences from its Mambai substrate.[2]
Phonology
Consonants
- /r, h, k/ can also be heard as [ɾ, ħ, ʔ].
- /p, k/ can also be heard as aspirated [pʰ, kʰ].
- /d/ is also heard as a voiced post-alveolar stop [d̠].
- /t/ is slightly aspirated [tʰ] before mid and low vowels. /t/ can also have an allophone [ts] when preceding high vowels.[3]
- The plosives /p, b, t, d, k/ are unreleased [p̚, b̚, t̚, d̚, k̚] in word-final position.[4]
Vowels
Dialects
Mambae can be divided into three dialects according to Fogaça (2017):[7]: 82
- Northwest
- Liquiça: Bazartete
- Ermera: Hatulia
- Ermera: Railaco
- Northeast-Central
- Aileu: Laulara
- Aileu: Vila Grupo
- Aileu: Liquidoe
- Ainaro: Hatu-Builico
- South
- Ainaro: Hato-Udo
- Manufahi-Same: Letefoho
- Manufahi-Same: Betano
Examples of dialectal variation in Mambae:[7]
| Numeral | Northeast-Central | Northwest | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iid | iid | iid |
| 2 | ruu | ruu | ruu |
| 3 | teul | teul | teul |
| 4 | faat | paat | faat/paat |
| 5 | liim | liim | liim |
| 6 | neen | hohon iid | liim nai-ida |
| 7 | hitu | hohon ruu | liim nai-rua |
| 8 | ualu | hoho teul | liim nai-telu |
| 9 | sia | hoho paat | liim nai-fata/pata |
| 10 | saguul | sakuul | saguul |
| 20 | rua nuul | guul ruu | (saguul) haet rua |
| 30 | teul nuul | guul teul | (saguul) haet teul |
| 40 | faat nuul | guul paat | (saguul) haet faat/paat |
| 50 | lima nuul | guul liim | (saguul) haet liim |
| Pronoun | Northeast-Central | Northwest | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.SG | au | au | au |
| 2.SG | iit | iit | iit |
| 3.SG | ua | ua | ura |
| 1.PL, inclusive | iit | iit | iit |
| 1.PL, exclusive | aem | aem | aem |
| 2.PL | iim | iim | iim |
| 3.PL | roo | roo | room |
| Gloss | Northeast-Central | Northwest | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'house' | pada | fada | uum |
| 'short' | bloko | pada | bada |
| 'wet' | broe | tita | era |
| 'dirty' | kiniri | rae | foer |
| 'many' | doto | klen | rini |
| 'lie (fib)' | bea | rau | halaet |
| 'eat' | mua | muu | aa |
| 'banana' | muka | mua | muu |
Comparison of selected body part words in Mambae dialects:[7]
gloss Liquiça (Bazartete) Ermera (Hatulia) Ermera (Railaco) Aileu (Laulara) Aileu (Vila Grupo) Aileu (Liquidoe) Ainaro (Hatu-Builico) Ainaro (Hato-Udo) Manufahi-Same (Letefoho) Manufahi-Same (Betano) mouth gugun gugun gugun kukun kukun kukun kukun kuku kuku kuku arm liman liman liman niman niman lima liman lima lima lima elbow lima sikun liman sikun siun nima siun nima siun lima siun lima siun lima sikun lima siku lima siku shoulder kabaːs kabasan kabasan kabaːs kabasa kabasa kabaːs labaːs kabaːs au balaːs head gnutan glutan ulun ulun ulun ulun glutan ulu ulu hatu ulu headache gnutan baːn glutan baːn glutan baːn ulun baːn ulun baːn glutan baːn glutan baːn ulu hatusae ulu hatusae ulu hatusae hair ulu nɔɾan ulu laun ulun ulun lahon ulu nɔɾa ulun noran ulun ulu ulu ulu noɾa black hair ulu meta ulu meta ulu meta ulun meta ulu nɔɾa mɛta ulun meta ulun meta ulu meta ulu mɛta ulu laha meta flesh (human) ɛta lɔlon etan etan etan ɛtan etan ɛtan eta lɔlo ɛta lɔlo eta lolo heart hua huan huan huan huan huan huan hua hua hua back hɔhon tɛten hoho teten hɔhon hoho tɛten hɔhon hoho tɛten asa hɔho hɔhɔ tɛte hoho tooth nipan nipan nipan nifan nifan nifan nifan nipa nifa nifa finger lima huan lima huan lima huan nima huan lima huan lima kakun lima huan lima hua lima hua lima hua liver aten aten aten aten aten aten aten ate ate ate tongue lamalaun lamalaun lamalau lamalaun laman lamalaun lamelaun lama lama lama hand liman liman liman niman niman liman liman lima lima sanak lima nose ilu ilun ilun inun inun ilun inun ilu ilu ilu eye matan matan matan matan matan matan matan mata mata mata ear teliga tligan tliga kikan kika nɔɾan tika noɾan kikan teliga teliga teliga bone rui ruin ruin ruin ruin ruin ruin rui rui rui foot ɔen oen ɔen ɔɛn ɔɛn ɔɛn ɔɛn oe ɔɛ oɛ skin litan eta litan litan litan litan litan litan tia tia eta tia leg ɔen oen ɔen ɔɛn ɔɛn ɔɛn ɔɛn oe ɔɛ oɛ neck tgeun tgeun tgeun tgeun tgeun kdeun tgeu tegeu tegeu blood laɾa laɾa laɾa laɾan laɾa lalan laɾan laːr lara laːr