Satawalese language
Satawalese | |
---|---|
Native to | Federated States of Micronesia |
Region | Caroline Islands |
Native speakers | 500 (2016)e18[1] |
Austronesian
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | stw |
Glottolog | sata1237 |
ELP | Satawalese |
Satawalese is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger |
Satawalese is a Micronesian language of the Federated States of Micronesia. It is nearly mutually intelligible with Mortlockese and Carolinian.
Introduction
History
Satawalese is a language spoken on the island of
Classification
Satawalese is identified as an
Sounds
Consonants
Satawalese language contains 15 specific consonants. /p/, /pʷˠ/, /f/, /m/, /mʷˠ/, /w/, /n/, /t/, /s/, /r/, /j/, /k/, /t͡ʃ/, /ŋ/, /ɻ/
Labial | Dental/ Alveolar |
Post- alveolar |
Dorsal | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nasal | m, mʷˠ | n |
ŋ | |
Occlusive | p, pʷˠ | t |
t͡ʃ | k |
Fricative | f | s | ||
Sonorant | w | r |
ɻ | j |
The existence of the phoneme /g/ is debated in Satawalese. Some scholars believe the phoneme to be an allophone of the phoneme /k/. It is suggested that in Satawalese language both phonemes can be interchanged without changing the meaning of a word. Opposing studies suggest /g/ to be its own separate phoneme. Because of evidence that shows use of /g/ on its own within Satawalese speech, the suggestion that it is its own phoneme has a stronger stance.
The phoneme /
Vowels
Satawalese contains nine vowels:/i/, /a/, /o/, /u/, /æ/, /ɛ/, /ʉ/, /ɞ/, /ɒ/.[2]
Grammar
Basic word order
Satawalese use Subject-Object-Verb word order.
Mary
a
foato-ki
tinikii
we
aan
“Mary wrote her letter.”
Reduplication
Reduplication is available in the Satawalese language. It is used mainly to show a progressive form of a verb, noun, or adjective.
- "ras" vt. to pull something until it breaks.
- "rasras" vt. progressive form of ras; the continuous pulling of something until it breaks
- "rig" adj. small.
- "rigrig" adj. progressive form of rig; smaller.
- "seo" rested.
- "seoseo" v. resting.
- "pis" n. splash.
- "pisipis" adj. progressive form of pis; 'splashing around'.
Numerals
Like most Pacific languages as well as many languages around the world, Satawalese takes advantage of a base ten counting system. The Satawalese language contains two basic counting systems (Roddy, 2007). One system is the fast version, which is the version used for counting objects as well as game playing. The second counting system in Satawal is the slow version. This system is used when teaching young children the numeral system, and is also used by older generations.
Slow version Fast version English translation
- ‘’Eota’’ *‘’Eot’’ one
- ‘’Riuwa’’ *‘’Riuw’’ two
- ‘’Eoniu’’ *‘’Eon’’three
- ‘’Faeni’’ *‘’Faen’’four
- ‘’Nima’’ *‘’Nim’’five
- ‘’Wona’’ *‘’On’’ six
- ‘’Fiusa’’ *‘’Fius’’seven
- ‘’Waani’’ *‘’Wan’’ eight
- ‘’Tiwa*‘’Tiw’’nine
Large numbers are also existent in the Satawalese language. All numbers greater than ten are produced by using the conjunction me, which translates to the word “and” in English. For example, the numeral eleven is seig me ew, which translates to “ten and one” in English or eleven. One billion is the largest numeral in the Satawalese language. It is expressed as engeras ssen or one thousand million.
Vocabulary
Indigenous vocabulary[3]
- saam -father
- rheon -leaf
- pwun -heart
- oattoaur -to eat (polite form)
- moat -to sit
- manewe -person
- ig -fish
- kanok -dog
- kiuw -louse
- wanwan -tree
- aweri -to see
- mae -to die
- eito -to come
- rhan -water
- fai -stone
- rhug -mountain
- aenet -sun
- pai -hand
- fiufiu -star
Loanwords
Satawalese has borrowed words from major language countries that had traveled throughout the Pacific such as Japan, Spain, and the United States, as well as nearby languages within the Federated States of Micronesia, such as Woleaian and Ulithian.
Words derived from English:
- aispwoax – Ice box; refrigerator
- felowa - bread; flour
- finoras – flowers
- frii – free
- friiseor – freezer
- karesiin – kerosene
Words derived from Ulithian:
- aasi – to take (it)
- aaileng – world
- fiifi – soup
- kaerboaw – cow
Words derived from Spanish:
- floras – flowers
- kanemasa – pumpkin
Words derived from Japanese:
- kanepwas – calabash
- kachito – movie
Words derived from Woleaian:
- gamaeinoak – pretend
- faisun – as it is
- " ngang"- Me
- "Ito-come
Endangerment
Materials
Satawalese language resources have become quite abundant in the past decade. Alphabet books, translations, as well as dictionaries are all available in the Satawalese language. Also linguistic studies have been documented sharing the language’s grammar, phonology, vocabulary, stories, etc.
Vitality
According to endangeredlanguages.com Satawalese is classified as an
Further reading
- The Navigator's Of Satawal, Mau Piailug's Star Compass.mpg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpX04U9FvTU.
- Roddy, Kevin M. (2007). A Sketch Grammar of Satawalese, The Language of Satawal Island, Yap State, Micronesia. Retrieved from The University of Hawai’i Manoa Scholarspace website:http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/handle/10125/20678/M.A.CB5.H3_3421_r.pdf?sequence=2.
- Satawalese. Endangered Languages. http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/5426
- The Trukic Language Continuum in Night Thoughts of a Field Linguist (2005, May 12). Message posted to http://fieldlinguistnotes.wordpress.com/2005/05/12/the-trukic- language-continuum/.
References
- ^ "Satawalese". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
- ^ Roddy, Kevin. "A sketch grammar of Satawalese, the language of Satawal Island, Yap State, Micronesia" (PDF). Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ "The ASJP Database - Wordlist Satawalese". asjp.clld.org. Retrieved 2023-01-25.