Sula language

Last updated
Sula
Sanana
Li Sua
Native to Indonesia, Maluku
Region Sula Islands
Ethnicity Sula
Native speakers
(20,000 cited 1983) [1]
Dialects
Language codes
ISO 639-3 szn
Glottolog sula1245

Sula (Sanana) is a Malayo-Polynesian language of the Central Maluku branch. It is related to the Buru language. Sula is spoken mainly on the Sulabesi, with the Sanana as its center.

Contents

It is definitely endangered, currently under pressure from the local variety of Malay, known as Sula Malay. [2]

Sula has borrowed many lexical items from Ambonese Malay, as well as Ternate, a more dominant language of North Maluku. [2] : 141, 342–535  Dutch loans have entered the language too, perhaps through Malay and Ternate. Standard Indonesian has also been influential. [2] : 141 

Mangole is sometimes listed as a distinct language. [2] : 50 

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive/
Affricate 		voiceless p t tʃ k ʔ
voiced b d dʒ ɡ
Nasal m n ŋ
Fricative f s ( ʃ ) h
Trill r
Lateral l
Approximant w j

Voiced consonant sounds /bdɡ/ may also be heard as devoiced [b̥d̥ɡ̊] in word-final position.

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i u
Mid e o
Open a

/e/ can also be heard as [ɛ] in lax form. [2]

References

  1. ↑ Sula at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Bloyd, Tobias S. (2020). Sula: Its language, land, and people. University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.

Further reading


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