Ambulas language

Ambulas
Ambelas
Native to	Papua New Guinea
Region	Sepik River basin
Ethnicity	Abelam
Native speakers	33,000 (2004) [1]
Language family	Sepik Middle Sepik Ndu Ambulas
Language codes
ISO 639-3	abt
Glottolog	ambu1247
ELP	Ambulas

Ambulas (or Abelam, Abulas) is a member of the Ndu languages of Sepik River region of northern Papua New Guinea. ^[2] Dialects are Maprik, Wingei, Wosera-Kamu, Wosera-Mamu. ^[1]

Phonology

Consonants ^[3]

		Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar
Plosive/ Affricate	plain	p	t		k
	prenasal	ᵐb	ⁿd	ᶮdʒ	ᵑg
Nasal		m	n	ɲ	ŋ
Fricative		β	s
Liquid	lateral		l
	rhotic		r
Semivowel		w		j

Vowels ^[4]

	Front	Central	Back
High	( i ) [a]	ɨ	( u ) [a]
Mid		ə
Low		a

1. [i, u] may be heard as a realization of the sequences /əj/, /əw/ or resulting in syllabic forms of /j, w/.

Vocabulary

Word-Formation

Most words in Ambulas are roots, although some word-stems are reduplicated, compounded, or derived. ^[5]

Examples of Reduplication

Stem	Category	Meaning
pepe	noun	"flying fox species"
kiyakiya	noun	"fever"
kwaskwas	noun	"frog species"
jékjék	adjective	"tough"
nyeknyek	adjective	"soft"

Compound Stems

In Ambulas, compound stems occur within nouns (including temporal nouns and quantifiers) and verbs.

Examples of Noun Stems

Root 1	Root 2	Compound Stem	Meaning
méni "eye"	taama "nose"	ménidama	"face"
kaadé "hunger"	mu "thing"	kadému	"food"
séré "tomorrow"	maa "day after"	séréma	"in the future"
nak "one"	waasa "dog"	nakwasa	"four"
nak "one"	taaba "hand"	naktaba	"five"

Examples of Verb Stems

Root 1	Root 2	Compound Stem	Meaning
ra "sit"	ségé "watch"	raségé	"look after"
bul "talk"	tégé "close"	bultépé	"interrupt"
taak "break sharply"	burép "touch against"	takuburép	"chip against"
taa "carve"	kény "whittle"	taakény	"carve something small"

Derivational Stems

Adjective stems can be formed by adding suffixes, such as -mama (meaning "possessing much"), to noun roots or noun stems.

Examples of Noun Root Suffixing (using -mama)

Root	Stem	Meaning
apa "strength"	apamama	"very strong"
yéwaa "money"	yéwamama	"very wealthy"
baalé "pig"	balémama	"possessing many pigs"

Examples of Noun Stem Suffixing (using -mama)

Root	Stem	Meaning
kadému "food"	kadémumama	"possessing much food"
gwalmu "money"	gwalmumama	"very wealthy in possessions"

References

1. Ambulas at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
2. OLAC resources in and about the Ambulas language
3. 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.
4. Palmer, Bill (2017-12-04). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. ISBN   978-3-11-029525-2.
5. Wilson, Patricia R. (1980). "Ambulas Grammar" (PDF). Workpapers in Papua New Guinea Languages. 26. Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea: Summer Institute of Linguistics. ISBN   0-7263-0702-5.

External links

• OLAC resources in and about the Ambulas language
• Anthony Forge Films and Recordings From the Anthony Forge Papers. MSS 411. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
• Ambulas Grammar (Wilson, 1980)