Yagwoia language

Yagwoia
Native toPapua New Guinea
RegionMorobe, Eastern Highlands, Gulf provinces
Native speakers
10,000 (2005)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3ygw
Glottologyagw1240

Yagwoia (Yeghuye), or Kokwaiyakwa, is an Angan language of Papua New Guinea. Dialects are named after the five ethnicities, Iwalaqamalje, Hiqwaye, Hiqwase, Gwase, Heqwangilye (Yeqwangilje dialect).

Distribution

Yagwoia is spoken in:[1]

Phonology

Consonants[2]
Labial Alveolar Velar Uvular Glottal
Plosive p t k q ʔ ⟨'⟩
Fricative s h
Nasal m n ŋ ⟨ng⟩
Approximant w l j ⟨y⟩
  • /p t k/ tend to become voiced [b d g] in clusters with nasals or /l/.
  • /m n ŋ l/ can be syllabic.
  • /s/ is in free variation with [z]. Older speakers tend to pronounce it as [ts~dz].
  • /t/ can often be heard as [r].
Vowels[2]
Front Central Back
High i ɨ u
Mid e o
Low a aː
  • /ɨ/ is rare.

Additionally, the following diphthongs have been observed: /ei/, /ai/, /ae/, /au/, /ou/.

Yagwoia is tonal, distinguishing high and low tone. However, tone has a low functional load, and so remains unwritten.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Yagwoia at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ^ a b c Trainum, Mike (1992). Tanggu Organised Phonology Data. SIL International.

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