Buna language

Last updated
Buna
Native to Papua New Guinea
Region Marienberg Rural LLG, East Sepik Province
Native speakers
750 (2003) [1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3 bvn
Glottolog buna1277
ELP Buna
Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap  
Download coordinates as: KML

Buna is a Torricelli language of Marienberg Rural LLG, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.

Contents

There are two dialects. One dialect is spoken in Kasmin ( 4°01′08″S144°03′37″E / 4.018975°S 144.060235°E / -4.018975; 144.060235 (Kasmin 1) ), Boig ( 3°50′55″S144°03′18″E / 3.84861°S 144.054923°E / -3.84861; 144.054923 (Boik) ), Waskurin ( 3°52′12″S144°04′05″E / 3.870089°S 144.068112°E / -3.870089; 144.068112 (Waskurin) ), and Arapang ( 3°52′49″S144°04′24″E / 3.88039°S 144.073217°E / -3.88039; 144.073217 (Ariapan) ) villages, and another in Masan, Mangan ( 3°57′13″S144°14′22″E / 3.953676°S 144.239463°E / -3.953676; 144.239463 (Mangan) ), and Garien villages. [1] [2]

Morphology

Buna has four noun classes. Noun class concord affixes in Buna are shown in the following examples. [3]

Class 1
singular (masculine)plural (masculine)

uri

person.CL1.SG

gaba-re

big-CL1.SG

do-ko-n

CL1.SG.SBJ-go-CL1.SG

uri gaba-redo-ko-n

person.CL1.SG big-CL1.SG CL1.SG.SBJ-go-CL1.SG

‘The big man went.’

oret

person.CL1.PL

gaba-bwe

big-CL1.PL

bo-ko-m

CL1.PL.SBJ-go-CL1.PL

oret gaba-bwebo-ko-m

person.CL1.PL big-CL1.PL CL1.PL.SBJ-go-CL1.PL

‘The big men went.’

Class 2
singular (feminine)plural (feminine)

uri

person.CL2.SG

gaba-gwe

big-CL2.SG

go-ko-ŋ

CL2.SG.SBJ-go-CL2.SG

uri gaba-gwego-ko-ŋ

person.CL2.SG big-CL2.SG CL2.SG.SBJ-go-CL2.SG

‘The big woman went.’

oret

person.CL2.PL

gaba-ʔe

big-CL2.PL

e-ko

CL2.PL.SBJ-go

oret gaba-ʔee-ko

person.CL2.PL big-CL2.PL CL2.PL.SBJ-go

‘The big women went.’

Class 3
singular (class III)plural (class III)

wan

banana.CL3.SG

gaba-re

big-CL3.SG

na-ti-n

CL3.SG.SBJ-fall-CL3.SG

wan gaba-rena-ti-n

banana.CL3.SG big-CL3.SG CL3.SG.SBJ-fall-CL3.SG

‘A big banana fell down.’

wan

banana.CL3.PL

gaba-we

big-CL3.PL

u-ti-u

CL3.PL.SBJ-fall-CL3.PL

wan gaba-weu-ti-u

banana.CL3.PL big-CL3.PL CL3.PL.SBJ-fall-CL3.PL

‘Big bananas fell down.’

Class 4
singular (class IV)plural (class IV)

kwala

netbag.CL4.SG

gaba-le

big-CL4.SG

li-ti-l

CL4.SG.SBJ-fall-CL4.SG

kwala gaba-leli-ti-l

netbag.CL4.SG big-CL4.SG CL4.SG.SBJ-fall-CL4.SG

‘A big netbag fell down.’

kwala

netbag.CL4.PL

gaba-be

big-CL4.PL

-t-əm

CL4.PL.SBJ-fall-CL4.PL

kwala gaba-be-t-əm

netbag.CL4.PL big-CL4.PL CL4.PL.SBJ-fall-CL4.PL

‘Some big netbags fell down.’

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References

  1. 1 2 Buna at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  2. United Nations in Papua New Guinea (2018). "Papua New Guinea Village Coordinates Lookup". Humanitarian Data Exchange. 1.31.9.
  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.