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Austronesian language spoken in Vanuatu
The Namakura language, Makura or Namakir, is an
Oceanic language of
Vanuatu. The language is spoken in
Shefa Province, north
Efate,
Tongoa, and
Tongariki. It is the only
North-Central Vanuatu language to have preserved the
Proto-Oceanic *q, reflected as a
glottal stop.
Phonology
Consonants
- /v/ may also range to bilabial as [
β], in free variation.
- /h/ can also range to uvular as [
χ], in free variation.
- /ⁿd/ can also range to a retroflex [
ᶯɖ] in free variation. When followed by a /r/, it is then realized as a trilled-articulated sound [ⁿdʳ, ᶯɖʳ].
- /r/ can be heard as a flap [
ɾ] in initial position and as a trill [
r] elsewhere.
Vowels
- Two nasal vowel sounds [ẽ õ] are also rarely heard.
- /i/ when preceding a vowel can be heard as a glide [j].
[2]
External links
References
Notes
-
^
Namakura at
Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
-
^ Sperlich, Wolfgang B. (1991). Namakir: a description of a central Vanuatu language. University of Auckland.
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- * indicates proposed status
- ? indicates classification dispute
- † indicates
extinct status
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- * indicates proposed status
- ? indicates classification dispute
- † indicates
extinct status
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