| Mambai | |
|---|---|
| Region | East Timor |
Native speakers | 130,000 (2010 census) [1] |
Austronesian
| |
| Official status | |
Recognised minority language in | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | mgm |
| Glottolog | mamb1306 |
| ELP | Mambae |
 Distribution of Mambai mother-tongue speakers in East Timor | |
Mambai, also called Mambae or Manbae, is a language spoken by the Mambai people, the second largest ethnic group in the island country of East Timor.
Mambai is one of 15 constitutionally recognized national languages. The main centers of Mambai are Ermera, Aileu, Remexio, Turiscai, Maubisse Administrative Post, Ainaro Administrative Post and Same Administrative Post. The majority of the Timorese community in Australia is native in Mambai.
Mambai used to be spoken in the area around Dili, when the Portuguese declared the city to be the capital of their colony Portuguese Timor. Therefore, the Tetum Prasa spoken in Dili is still exhibiting strong influences from its Mambai substrate. [2]
| Labial | Alveolar | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | |||
| Plosive | voiceless | p | t | k | |
| voiced | b | d | ɡ | ||
| Fricative | f | s | h | ||
| Trill | r | ||||
| Approximant | l | ||||
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u | |
| Close-mid | e | o | |
| Open-mid | ɛ | ɔ | |
| Open | a |
| Front | Central | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | ai | au | |
| Mid | ei | ae | ao |
Mambae can be divided into three dialects according to Fogaça (2017): [7] : 82
Examples of dialectal variation in Mambae: [7]
| Numeral | Northeast-Central | Northwest | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iid | iid | iid |
| 2 | ruu | ruu | ruu |
| 3 | teul | teul | teul |
| 4 | faat | paat | faat/paat |
| 5 | liim | liim | liim |
| 6 | neen | hohon iid | liim nai-ida |
| 7 | hitu | hohon ruu | liim nai-rua |
| 8 | ualu | hoho teul | liim nai-telu |
| 9 | sia | hoho paat | liim nai-fata/pata |
| 10 | saguul | sakuul | saguul |
| 20 | rua nuul | guul ruu | (saguul) haet rua |
| 30 | teul nuul | guul teul | (saguul) haet teul |
| 40 | faat nuul | guul paat | (saguul) haet faat/paat |
| 50 | lima nuul | guul liim | (saguul) haet liim |
| Pronoun | Northeast-Central | Northwest | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.SG | au | au | au |
| 2.SG | iit | iit | iit |
| 3.SG | ua | ua | ura |
| 1.PL, inclusive | iit | iit | iit |
| 1.PL, exclusive | aem | aem | aem |
| 2.PL | iim | iim | iim |
| 3.PL | roo | roo | room |
| Gloss | Northeast-Central | Northwest | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'house' | pada | fada | uum |
| 'short' | bloko | pada | bada |
| 'wet' | broe | tita | era |
| 'dirty' | kiniri | rae | foer |
| 'many' | doto | klen | rini |
| 'lie (fib)' | bea | rau | halaet |
| 'eat' | mua | muu | aa |
| 'banana' | muka | mua | muu |
Comparison of selected body part words in Mambae dialects: [7]
| gloss | Liquiça (Bazartete) | Ermera (Hatulia) | Ermera (Railaco) | Aileu (Laulara) | Aileu (Vila Grupo) | Aileu (Liquidoe) | Ainaro (Hatu-Builico) | Ainaro (Hato-Udo) | Manufahi-Same (Letefoho) | Manufahi-Same (Betano) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mouth | gugun | gugun | gugun | kukun | kukun | kukun | kukun | kuku | kuku | kuku |
| arm | liman | liman | liman | niman | niman | lima | liman | lima | lima | lima |
| elbow | lima sikun | liman sikun | siun | nima siun | nima siun | lima siun | lima siun | lima sikun | lima siku | lima siku |
| shoulder | kabaːs | kabasan | kabasan | kabaːs | kabasa | kabasa | kabaːs | labaːs | kabaːs | au balaːs |
| head | gnutan | glutan | ulun | ulun | ulun | ulun | glutan | ulu | ulu hatu | ulu |
| headache | gnutan baːn | glutan baːn | glutan baːn | ulun baːn | ulun baːn | glutan baːn | glutan baːn | ulu hatusae | ulu hatusae | ulu hatusae |
| hair | ulu nɔɾan | ulu laun | ulun | ulun lahon | ulu nɔɾa | ulun noran | ulun | ulu | ulu | ulu noɾa |
| black hair | ulu meta | ulu meta | ulu meta | ulun meta | ulu nɔɾa mɛta | ulun meta | ulun meta | ulu meta | ulu mɛta | ulu laha meta |
| flesh (human) | ɛta lɔlon | etan | etan | etan | ɛtan | etan | ɛtan | eta lɔlo | ɛta lɔlo | eta lolo |
| heart | hua | huan | huan | huan | huan | huan | huan | hua | hua | hua |
| back | hɔhon tɛten | hoho teten | hɔhon | hoho tɛten | hɔhon | hoho tɛten | asa | hɔho | hɔhɔ tɛte | hoho |
| tooth | nipan | nipan | nipan | nifan | nifan | nifan | nifan | nipa | nifa | nifa |
| finger | lima huan | lima huan | lima huan | nima huan | lima huan | lima kakun | lima huan | lima hua | lima hua | lima hua |
| liver | aten | aten | aten | aten | aten | aten | aten | ate | ate | ate |
| tongue | lamalaun | lamalaun | lamalau | lamalaun | laman | lamalaun | lamelaun | lama | lama | lama |
| hand | liman | liman | liman | niman | niman | liman | liman | lima | lima sanak | lima |
| nose | ilu | ilun | ilun | inun | inun | ilun | inun | ilu | ilu | ilu |
| eye | matan | matan | matan | matan | matan | matan | matan | mata | mata | mata |
| ear | teliga | tligan | tliga | kikan | kika nɔɾan | tika noɾan | kikan | teliga | teliga | teliga |
| bone | rui | ruin | ruin | ruin | ruin | ruin | ruin | rui | rui | rui |
| foot | ɔen | oen | ɔen | ɔɛn | ɔɛn | ɔɛn | ɔɛn | oe | ɔɛ | oɛ |
| skin | litan | eta litan | litan | litan | litan | litan | litan | tia | tia | eta tia |
| leg | ɔen | oen | ɔen | ɔɛn | ɔɛn | ɔɛn | ɔɛn | oe | ɔɛ | oɛ |
| neck | tgeun | tgeun | tgeun | tgeun | tgeun | kdeun | tgeu | tegeu | tegeu | |
| blood | laɾa | laɾa | laɾa | laɾan | laɾa | lalan | laɾan | laːr | lara | laːr |
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