Kwerba language

Kwerba
Sasawa
Native toIndonesia
RegionSarmi Regency, Papua
Native speakers
(2,500 cited 1996)
Dialects
  • Serikenam
  • Sasawa
  • Nogukwabai
Language codes
ISO 639-3kwe
Glottolognucl1595

Kwerba is a Papuan language of Indonesia. Alternate names are Armati (Airmati), Koassa, Mataweja, Naibedj, Segar Tor, Tekutameso.

Kwerba is spoken in Apiaweti, Aurime, Munukania, Tatsewalem, and Wamariri villages in Sarmi Regency.

Phonology

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar
Plosive p pʷ t tʃ k kʷ
Fricative s
Nasal m mʷ n ɲ ŋ
Approximant w r j
Vowels
Front Central Back
High i u
Near-high ɪ
Mid-high e ə o
Mid-low ɛ
Low a

Stress occurs on the penultimate syllable.

Pronouns

Kwerba nominative pronouns as given in Foley (2018):

singulardualplural
1st person excl conano’nino
incl na’noneno
2nd person amnononom
3rd person iiniimiinembwanoiinembwa

References

  1. ↑ Kwerba at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2019). "Indonesia languages". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (22nd ed.). Dallas: SIL International.
  3. 1 2 3 Slizer, Peter J. (1976). Suharno, Ignatius; Pike, Kenneth L. (eds.). "A six-week phonemic analysis of Air Mati with a tentative orthography". From Baudi to Indonesian. Jayapura: Cenderawasih University and Summer Institute of Linguistics: 192–201.
  4. ↑ Foley, William A. (2018). "The languages of Northwest New Guinea". 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. 433–568. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.