Ama language (New Guinea)

Ama
Sawiyanu
Native toPapua New Guinea
RegionEast Sepik Province
Native speakers
490 (2000)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3amm
Glottologamap1240
ELPAma
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Ama (Sawiyanu) is a Left May language of Papua New Guinea, in East Sepik Province. Former dialects have merged.

Ethnologue reports that it is spoken in Ama (Wopolu I) (4°06′12″S 141°39′54″E / 4.103263°S 141.665012°E / -4.103263; 141.665012 (Ama)), Kauvia (Kawiya) (4°07′24″S 141°39′47″E / 4.123436°S 141.662939°E / -4.123436; 141.662939 (Kavia)), Waniap creek (4°12′57″S 141°43′44″E / 4.215844°S 141.728851°E / -4.215844; 141.728851 (Waniap)), Wopolu II (Nokonufa) (4°04′23″S 141°42′22″E / 4.072957°S 141.706211°E / -4.072957; 141.706211 (Waburu 1&2)), and Yonuwai (4°11′37″S 141°36′14″E / 4.193624°S 141.603848°E / -4.193624; 141.603848 (Yenuai)) villages of Tunap/Hunstein Rural LLG, East Sepik Province.[1][2]

Phonology

Ama has 12 consonants, which are:[3]: 344 

p t k kʷ
ɸ s h
m n
w ɻ j

Ama has 7 vowels, which are:[3]: 344 

i u
e o
ɔ
a ɒ

Pronouns

Pronouns are:[3]: 345 

sg du pl
1incl moti moi
1excl yo/ya koti koi
2 nono/na moti moi
3 to/ta toti toi

Grammar

Ama has four tenses, which are marked by suffixes.

  • remote past (-ki)
  • near past (i. e. yesterday) (-a)
  • present (today) (Ø, unmarked)
  • future (-imoi ~ -i)

References

  1. ^ a b Ama at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ^ United Nations in Papua New Guinea (2018). "Papua New Guinea Village Coordinates Lookup". Humanitarian Data Exchange. 1.31.9.
  3. ^ a b c Foley, William A. (2018). "The Languages of the Sepik-Ramu Basin and Environs". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 197–432. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.