Semelai language

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Semelai
Native toMalaysia
RegionMalay Peninsula
Ethnicity6,300 (2008)[1]
Native speakers
4,100 (2009)[1]
Latin script
Language codes
ISO 639-3sza
Glottologseme1247
ELPSemelai

Semelai is an

Aslian language subgrouping. The Semelai reside predominantly around the Bera, Serting and associated river systems in the states of Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Johor
.

Phonology

Semelai has 32 consonants and 20 vowels.[2]

Consonants
Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive voiceless p
t
c k ʔ
aspirated
voiced b
d
ɟ ɡ
Fricative s ~ ɕ h
Nasal voiceless ŋ̊
voiced m
n
ɲ ŋ
preglottal ʔm ʔn ʔɲ
Approximant plain
l
j w
preglottal ʔl ʔj
Trill plain
r
preglottal ʔr
  • Stops /p t c k/ are heard as [p̚ t̚ c̚ k̚] word-final position.
  • Palatal sounds /c ɟ/ are slightly affricated as [cᶝ ɟᶽ] when in word-initial position.
  • /s/ may occur as [s] or [ɕ] within free variation.
  • Nasals /m n ɲ ŋ/ can occur as prestopped [ᵇm ᵈn ᶡɲ ᶢŋ] when in word-final position.
  • /r/ can be heard as [ɾ] when in word-final position. When preceded by a nasal /n/ it is heard as [ᵈr].
  • /w j/ are heard as off-glides [ ʷ,  ʲ] when in word-final position. After nasal vowels, they are then heard as nasalized [ ʷ̃, ʲ̃].

Vowels are also distinguished with nasal counterparts:

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i ĩ ʉ ʉ̃ u ũ
Close-mid e ə ə̃ o õ
Open-mid ɛ ɛ̃ ɔ ɔ̃
Open a ã ɒ ɒ̃
  • /ɒ/ is phonetically noted as [ɒ̙].
  • /i/ can be heard as [ɪ] in closed syllables
  • /ə/ can be heard as [ʌ] in stressed word-final syllables

Notes

  1. ^ a b Semelai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Kruspe (2004)

References

  • Hoe, Ban Seng (2001). Baer, Adela S.; Gianno, Rosemary (eds.). Semelai Communities at Tasek Bera: A Study of the Structure of an Orang Asli Society. Subang Jaya, Malaysia: Centre for Orang Asli Concerns. .
  • Kruspe, Nicole (2004a). A Grammar of Semelai. Cambridge Grammatical Descriptions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. .
  • Kruspe, Nicole (2004b). "Adjectives in Semelai". In Dixon, R. M. W.; A. Y. Aikhenvald (eds.). Adjective Classes: a cross-linguistic typology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 283–305.

External links