Skou language
Skou language spoken in Indonesia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Skou (Sekol, Sekou, Sko, Skouw, Skow, Sukou), or Tumawo (Te Mawo), is a Papuan language of Indonesia.
Distribution
Skou is spoken in three villages of Muara Tami District, Jayapura City. The villages are:[2]
- Skou Yambe (Skou name: Te Tángpe), the westernmost and most populous Skou village
- Skou Mabo (Skou name: Te Máwo), located between Skou Yambe and Skou Sae villages
- Skou Sae (Skou name: Te Bapúbi), the easternmost and least populous Skou village
Phonology
Consonants
The Skou consonants are:[3]
Vowels
Vowels can be nasalized, except for /ɨ/ and /u/.[3]
Tone
Skou contrasts three different tones in monosyllables: high, low and falling, which can be combined with nasality for a six-way contrast.[2]
| Pitch | Oral | Nasal |
|---|---|---|
| high [˥] | ta
'grass' |
tã
'bird' |
| low [˨] | ta
'hair' |
tã
'canoe' |
| falling [˥˩] | ta
'arrow' |
tã
'machete' |
Tone in Skou is affiliated with each word, rather than with each syllable.
In addition to lexical differences in tone, tone has grammatical functions.[2]
For instance, tense in Skou is differentiated by tone.
| non-past tense forms | ||
|---|---|---|
| [ni hu]
falling-falling 'I sew' |
[ni ha]
falling-high 'I stand' |
[ni hũ]
falling-low 'I drink' |
| past tense forms | ||
| [ni hu]
falling-low 'I sewed' |
[ni ha]
falling-low 'I stood' |
[ni hũ]
falling-low 'I drank' |
Pronouns
Skou differentiates three types of pronouns: free pronouns, genitive pronouns and dative pronouns.[2]
| Free | Genitive | Dative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1SG | [ni˥˩] | [ni˥˩] | [nɛ˨] |
| 1PL | [nɛ˨] | [nɛ˥˩] | [nɛ˨] |
| 2SG | [mɛ˥˩] | [mɛ˥˩] | [mɛ˨] |
| 2PL | [ɛ˨] | [ɛ˥˩] | [ɛ˨] |
| 3SG.NF | [kɛ˨] | [kɛ˥] | [kɛ˨] |
| 3SG.F | [pɛ˨] | [pɛ˥˩] | [pɛ˨] |
| 3PL | [tɛ˨] | [tɛ˥˩] | [tɛ˨] |