Sawai language
Austronesian language spoken in North Maluku, Indonesia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sawai language (also Weda) is a South Halmahera language of the Austronesian language family spoken in the Weda, Weda Selatan and Gane Timor districts of southern Halmahera, in North Maluku Province of Indonesia. There are approximately 12,000 speakers.
Sounds
Below is a description of the Kobe dialect of Sawai spoken in the villages of Lelilef Woyebulan and Kobe Peplis, as well as from Whistler (1995).
Consonants
Sawai has 15 consonants:
Vowels
Sawai has eight vowels:
Syllable
Sawai has the following syllable structure:
- (C)(C)V(C)
Examples:
| word | gloss | syllable type |
|---|---|---|
| /i/ | 's/he/it' | V |
| /in/ | 'fish' | VC |
| /wo/ | 'alcoholic drink' | CV |
| /npo/ | 's/he/it gives' | CCV |
| /kot/ | 'magic statue' | CVC |
| /nfan/ | 's/he/it goes' | CCVC |