Mambai language (Timor)

Last updated
Mambai
Region East Timor
Native speakers
130,000 (2010 census) [1]
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3 mgm
Glottolog mamb1306
ELP Mambae
Mambai.png
Distribution of Mambai mother-tongue speakers in East Timor
An illustration of Tetum language (left), Mambai language (center) and Portuguese language (right) being compared to one another. Kursu portuges 1.jpg
An illustration of Tetum language (left), Mambai language (center) and Portuguese language (right) being compared to one another.

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.

Contents

Geographic distribution

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]

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Velar Glottal
Nasal m n
Plosive voiceless p t k
voiced b d ɡ
Fricative f s h
Trill r
Approximant l

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i u
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a
Diphthongs
Front Central
Close aiau
Mid eiaeao

Dialects

Mambae can be divided into three dialects according to Fogaça (2017): [7] :82

Northwest
Northeast-Central
South


Examples of dialectal variation in Mambae: [7]

Numerals
NumeralNortheast-CentralNorthwestSouth
1iidiidiid
2ruuruuruu
3teulteulteul
4faatpaatfaat/paat
5liimliimliim
6neenhohon iidliim nai-ida
7hituhohon ruuliim nai-rua
8ualuhoho teulliim nai-telu
9siahoho paatliim nai-fata/pata
10saguulsakuulsaguul
20rua nuulguul ruu(saguul) haet rua
30teul nuulguul teul(saguul) haet teul
40faat nuulguul paat(saguul) haet faat/paat
50lima nuulguul liim(saguul) haet liim
Pronouns
PronounNortheast-CentralNorthwestSouth
1.SGauauau
2.SGiitiitiit
3.SGuauaura
1.PL, inclusiveiitiitiit
1.PL, exclusiveaemaemaem
2.PLiimiimiim
3.PLroorooroom
Lexicon
GlossNortheast-CentralNorthwestSouth
'house'padafadauum
'short'blokopadabada
'wet'broetitaera
'dirty'kiniriraefoer
'many'dotoklenrini
'lie (fib)'bearauhalaet
'eat'muamuuaa
'banana'mukamuamuu

Comparison of selected body part words in Mambae dialects: [7]

glossLiquiça (Bazartete)Ermera (Hatulia)Ermera (Railaco)Aileu (Laulara)Aileu (Vila Grupo)Aileu (Liquidoe)Ainaro (Hatu-Builico)Ainaro (Hato-Udo)Manufahi-Same (Letefoho)Manufahi-Same (Betano)
mouthgugungugungugunkukunkukunkukunkukunkukukukukuku
armlimanlimanlimannimannimanlimalimanlimalimalima
elbowlima sikunliman sikunsiunnima siunnima siunlima siunlima siunlima sikunlima sikulima siku
shoulderkabaːskabasankabasankabaːskabasakabasakabaːslabaːskabaːsau balaːs
headgnutanglutanulunulunulunulunglutanuluulu hatuulu
headachegnutan baːnglutan baːnglutan baːnulun baːnulun baːnglutan baːnglutan baːnulu hatusaeulu hatusaeulu hatusae
hairulu nɔɾanulu launulunulun lahonulu nɔɾaulun noranulunuluuluulu noɾa
black hairulu metaulu metaulu metaulun metaulu nɔɾa mɛtaulun metaulun metaulu metaulu mɛtaulu laha meta
flesh (human)ɛta lɔlonetanetanetanɛtanetanɛtaneta lɔloɛta lɔloeta lolo
hearthuahuanhuanhuanhuanhuanhuanhuahuahua
backhɔhon tɛtenhoho tetenhɔhonhoho tɛtenhɔhonhoho tɛtenasahɔhohɔhɔ tɛtehoho
toothnipannipannipannifannifannifannifannipanifanifa
fingerlima huanlima huanlima huannima huanlima huanlima kakunlima huanlima hualima hualima hua
liveratenatenatenatenatenatenatenateateate
tonguelamalaunlamalaunlamalaulamalaunlamanlamalaunlamelaunlamalamalama
handlimanlimanlimannimannimanlimanlimanlimalima sanaklima
noseiluiluniluninuninuniluninuniluiluilu
eyematanmatanmatanmatanmatanmatanmatanmatamatamata
earteligatligantligakikankika nɔɾantika noɾankikanteligateligateliga
boneruiruinruinruinruinruinruinruiruirui
footɔenoenɔenɔɛnɔɛnɔɛnɔɛnoeɔɛ
skinlitaneta litanlitanlitanlitanlitanlitantiatiaeta tia
legɔenoenɔenɔɛnɔɛnɔɛnɔɛnoeɔɛ
necktgeuntgeuntgeuntgeuntgeunkdeuntgeutegeutegeu
bloodlaɾalaɾalaɾalaɾanlaɾalalanlaɾanlaːrlaralaːr

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetum language</span> Austronesian language spoken on the island of Timor

Tetum is an Austronesian language spoken on the island of Timor. It is one of the official languages of Timor-Leste and it is also spoken in Belu Regency and in Indonesian West Timor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of East Timor</span>

This is a demography of the population of East Timor including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aileu Municipality</span> Municipality of East Timor

Aileu is a municipality, and was formerly a district, of East Timor. It has a population of 48,554 and an area of 737 km². The municipality's capital is also named Aileu. Its administrative posts are Aileu, Laulara, Lequidoe and Remexio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Party of Timor</span> Political party in East Timor

The People's Party of Timor is a conservative political party in East Timor. Its predecessor was the Movimento do Povo de Timor-Leste MPTL. The PPT is described as a conservative, backward-looking traditional party with utopian ideas and monarchist and religious tendencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Timor (province)</span> Former province of Indonesia

East Timor was a de facto province of Indonesia that existed between 1976 and 1999 during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. Its territory corresponded to the previous Portuguese Timor and to the present-day independent country of Timor-Leste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manufahi Municipality</span> Municipality of East Timor

Manufahi is one of the municipalities of East Timor. It has a population of 53,691 and an area of 1,323 km2. The capital of the municipality is Same.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ermera Municipality</span> Municipality of East Timor

Ermera is one of the municipalities of East Timor, located in the west-central part of the country. It has a population of 117,064 and an area of 756.5 km².

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dili Municipality</span> Municipality of East Timor

Dili Municipality is one of the 14 municipalities, formerly districts, of Timor-Leste, and includes the national capital Dili. The municipality had a population of 277,279 as of 2015, most of whom live in the capital city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ainaro Municipality</span> Municipality of East Timor

Ainaro is one of 13 municipalities of East Timor, in the southwest part of the country. It has a population of 59,175 and an area of 804 km2. Its capital is the city of Ainaro, a small mountain town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunak people</span> Ethnic group in central Timor

The Bunak people are an ethnic group that live in the mountainous region of central Timor, split between the political boundary between West Timor, Indonesia, particularly in Lamaknen District and East Timor. Their language is one of those on Timor which is not an Austronesian language, but rather a Papuan language, belonging to the Trans–New Guinea linguistic family. They are surrounded by groups which speak Malayo-Polynesian languages, like the Atoni and the Tetum.

Xakriabá is an extinct or dormant Akuwẽ language formerly spoken in Minas Gerais, Brazil by the Xakriabá people, who today speak Portuguese. The language is known through two short wordlists collected by Augustin Saint-Hilaire and Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Laclo River</span> River in East Timor

The North Laclo River is the longest river in East Timor. It flows northeast into Wetar Strait, reaching the coast near the city of Manatuto. It has no connection to the South Laclo, which flows into the Timor Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoffrey Hull</span>

Geoffrey Stephen Hull is an Australian linguist, ethnologist and historian who has made contributions to the study of Romance, Celtic, Slavonic, Semitic, Austronesian and Papuan languages, in particular to the relationship between language and culture.

Taça Digicel was a football championship organized by the East Timor Football Federation. It was replaced by Taça 12 de Novembro in 2013.

Alas is a town in Alas Subdistrict. It is located in the interior of the island, 294 metres above sea level. As the crow flies, Alas is 56 km southeast of the state capital Dili und 7 km to the East of Same. Alas lies to the North of the Suco of Mahaquidan, and the Alas suburbs of Uma Mean and Beremanek are located in Mahaquidan. The suburbs of Lurin und Ailora are in the suco of Taitudac. It is located in the interior of the island, 294 metres above sea level. As the crow flies, Alas is 56 km southeast of the state capital Dili und 7 km to the East of Same. Alas lies to the North of the Suco of Mahaquidan, and the Alas suburbs of Uma Mean and Beremanek are located in Mahaquidan. The suburbs of Lurin und Ailora are in the suco of Taitudac. There is a medical station and a helicopter in Alas, as well as a primary school and a pre-secondary school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idalaka language</span> Language of East Timor

Idalaka is a Malayo-Polynesian dialect chain spoken in East Timor. The name is a portmanteau of Idaté and Lakalai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandeira Waterfall</span> Waterfall in East Timor

The Bandeira Waterfall is a tall waterfall in the municipality of Ermera, East Timor. It forms part of a minor tributary of the Loes River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berloi Waterfall</span> Waterfall in East Timor

The Berloi Waterfall is a small waterfall in the municipality of Aileu, East Timor. It forms part of a minor tributary of the Comoro River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mambai people</span>

The Mambai people are the second largest ethnic group after the Tetum Dili people in East Timor. Originally, they were known as the Maubere by the Portuguese. Maubere or Mau Bere is a widespread male first name among the Mambai people.

References

  1. Mambai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Hull, Geoffrey (24 August 2004). "The Languages of East Timor: Some Basic facts". Instituto Nacional de Linguística. Archived from the original on 16 July 2006.
  3. Hull, Geoffrey (2003). Southern Mambai. Instituto Nacional de Linguística of the Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa'e.
  4. Fogaça (2013)
  5. I Nengah Sukarnyana; I Made Denes; I Wayan Sudiartha; Ni Wayan Sudiati (1997). Struktur Bahasa Mambai [Mambai Language Structure] (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa. ISBN   979-459-777-5 via repositori.kemdikbud.go.id.
  6. Hull, Geoffrey (2001). Mambai Language Manual (Ainaro dialect). Dili: Sebastião Aparício da Silva Project.
  7. 1 2 3 Fogaça (2017)

Further reading