Agarabi language

"Agarabi" redirects here. For the local-level government area in Papua New Guinea, see Agarabi Rural LLG.
Agarabi
Native toPapua New Guinea
RegionEastern Highlands Province
Native speakers
27,000 (2000 census)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3agd
Glottologagar1252

Agarabi, also called Bare, is a Kainantu language spoken in Agarabi Rural LLG, Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ʔ
Plosive p t k
Rhotic r
Approximant w j
  • Sounds /p, t, k, w/ may fluctuate to fricative sounds [ɸ, s, x, β] when between oral vowels.
  • Sounds /p, t/ may also be heard as voiced [b, d] within complex syllable nuclei.
  • /n/ may be heard as [ŋ] when before /k/.
  • /r/ can be heard as either a tap [ɾ] or a trill [r].
  • /ʔ/ may occasionally fluctuate to a fricative [h].

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i u
Mid e (ə) o
Open a

A lax /a/ is said to be heard as [ə].[2]

References

  1. ^ Agarabi at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Bee, Darlene; Luff, Lorna; Goddard, Jean (1973). Notes on Agarabi phonology. In Howard McKaughan (ed.), The languages of the Eastern Family of the East New Guinea Highland Stock: Seattle: University of Washington. pp. 414–423.


Stub icon

This article about Trans–New Guinea languages is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.