Kuman (also Chimbu or Simbu) is a language of Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea. In 1994, it was estimated that 80,000 people spoke Kuman, 10,000 of them monolinguals;[2] in the 2000 census, 115,000 were reported, with few monolinguals.[1]Ethnologue also reported 70,000 second language speakers in 2021.[1]
Phonology
Like other Chimbu languages, Kuman has rather unusual lateral consonants. Besides the typical /l/, it has a "laterally released velar affricate" which is voiced medially and voiceless finally (and does not occur initially).[3] Based on related languages, this is presumably /k͡𝼄/, allophonically [ɡ͡ʟ̝] (see voiceless velar lateral fricative).
Voiced plosives are usually prenasal, but may fluctuate in word-initial position as ordinary voiced stops [b,d,ɡ].
Voiceless stops /p,t,k/ are always aspirated [pʰ,tʰ,kʰ] in word-initial position.
/ɾ/ only occurs word-medially and word-finally. In word-final position it is heard as a trill [r].
/s/ can be pronounced as [s], [ᵗs] in word-initial position.
/w/ can be pronounced as [β] before front vowels /i,e/.
/ʟ/ is heard as voiceless [ʟ̥] or fricative [𝼄], when preceding a consonant. It is heard as a voiced fricative [ʟ̝] when between vowels. It is also heard as an alveolar fricative [ɬ] before an /s/.[4][5]
Hardie, Peter. 2003. Is Kuman Tonal? An account of basic segmental and tonological structure in the Papuan language Kuman. MA thesis: Australian National University
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