Obokuitai
Aliki
Native toIndonesia
RegionObogwi village in East Central Mambermano District, Mamberamo Raya Regency, Papua
Native speakers
120 (2000)[1]
Lakes Plain
  • Central
    • Obokuitai–Eritai
      • Obokuitai
Latin?
Language codes
ISO 639-3afz
Glottologobok1239
ELPObokuitai

Obokuitai (Obogwitai) is a Lakes Plain language of Papua, Indonesia. It is named after Obogwi village in East Central Mambermano District, Mamberamo Raya Regency.[2]

Obokuitai, Sikaritai, and Eritai constitute a dialect cluster.

Phonology

The following discussion is based on Jenison & Jenison (1991).[3]

Unusual phonological features of Obokuitai and other Lakes Plain languages are the complete lack of nasals, even allophones, and a series of extra high or fricativized vowels that developed from loss of a following stop consonant.[4] Obokuitai has one of the smallest phonemic inventories in the world, equal to the Pirahã and Rotokas languages.

Consonants

Labial Coronal Velar Glottal
Stop b t d k
Fricative s h

The small consonant inventory is typical of Lakes Plain languages.

Obokuitai does have some more sounds as allophones. The voiced velar stop, [g], occurs syllable initial following a syllable final /k/. For example, /dikka/ -> [digga], 'husband of wife's sister'.

The voiced alveolar tap or flap, [ɾ], occurs between vowels in the syllable initial position and also as the second member of a consonant cluster in the syllable initial position. For example, /bɛda/ -> [bɛɾa], 'kind of sweet potato'.[5]

Vowels

Obokuitai has five vowels.

Front Back
High i u
Mid ɛ o
Low a

Tone

Like the other Lakes Plain languages, Obokuitai is tonal. L, H, and HL pitch contours occur on monosyllabic words. A phonological analysis of the tone system remains to be completed. However, the probable phonemic aspect of the tone is shown through the minimal triad kuik1 'rock', kuik2 'insect' (sp.) and kuik12 'lizard' (sp.).[6]

Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Obokuitai are:[7]

sgpl
1 i baèdo
2 dodeo
3 o

Verbs

Obokuitai has three verbal prefixes, which are:[7]: 538 

  • ha-: reciprocal
  • ke-: causative
  • be-: applicative

Some examples of verbs with the prefixes, as compared to the verb roots without them:[7]: 538 

didde

run

→

 

ke-didde

send

didde → ke-didde

run {} send

kúdde

talk

→

 

be-kúdde

talk to someone

kúdde → be-kúdde

talk {} {talk to someone}

tokoidde

throw

→

 

be-tokoidde

throw directly at something

tokoidde → be-tokoidde

throw {} {throw directly at something}

kdidde

pull

→

 

be-kdidde

pinch and pull back a bowstring with tautness

kdidde → be-kdidde

pull {} {pinch and pull back a bowstring with tautness}

tdaid

cut with a machete

→

 

be-tdaid

poke, stab, inject

tdaid → be-tdaid

{cut with a machete} {} {poke, stab, inject}

There are two aspectual verbal suffixes:[7]: 538 

  • -kua: imperfective
  • -di ~ -ei ~ Ø: perfective

These also have "background" forms, used with what Foley refers to as "backgrounded collateral clauses".[7]: 538 

  • -hoíd: imperfective
  • -hi: perfective

Particles

Final particles in Obokuitai:[7]: 538–539 

  • ke: exclamatory
  • ia: certainty
  • te ~ toi: imperative
  • bi: yes-no interrogative
  • se: information interrogative
  • beid: negative

References

  1. ↑ Obokuitai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2019). "Indonesia languages". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (22nd ed.). Dallas: SIL International.
  3. ↑ Jenison, Scott; Jenison, Priscilla (1991). "Obokuitai phonology". Workpapers in Indonesian languages and cultures. 9: 69–90.
  4. ↑ Clouse, Duane (1997). "Toward a reconstruction and reclassification of the Lakes Plain languages of Irian Jaya". Papers in Papuan Linguistics. 2: 133–236.
  5. ↑ Jenison, Scott; Jenison, Priscilla (1991). "Obokuitai phonology". Workpapers in Indonesian languages and cultures. 9: 69–90.
  6. ↑ UC Berkeley Phonology Lab Annual Report (2009), The Representation of Tone, Larry M. Hyman, University of California, Berkeley. Available online at http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/phonlab/documents/2009/Hyman_Representation_PLAR.pdf.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Foley, William A. (2018). "The languages of Northwest New Guinea". 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. 433–568. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
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