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

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Yagwoia is spoken in:[1]

Phonology

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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
  • /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]

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References

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  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.