Duwet language

Duwet
Guwot, Waing
RegionNew Guinea
Native speakers
400 (2011)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3gve
Glottologduwe1237
ELPDuwet
Duwet is classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Duwet, also known as Guwot or Waing, is an aberrant member of the Busu subgroup of Lower Markham languages in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Duwet is spoken by about 400 people and appears to have been heavily influenced by its neighboring Nabak language (also called Wain) of the Papuan Trans–New Guinea languages. It is spoken in the three villages of Lambaip, Lawasumbileng, and Ninggiet.[2]

Duwet is spoken in the three villages of Lambaip (6°27′38″S 146°55′10″E / 6.460583°S 146.91932°E / -6.460583; 146.91932 (Lambaip)), Lawasumbileng, and Ninggiet in Nabak Rural LLG.[2]

Morphology

Pronouns and person markers

Subject prefixes

Person Singular –past Singular +past Plural –past Plural +past
1st person nga- ngga- manga- manga-
2nd person ngu- nggu- manga- manga-
3rd person ngi- nggi- ngi- nggi-

Numerals

Traditional Duwet numerals include only three basic forms: 'one', 'two', and 'hand (= five)'.

Numeral Term Gloss
1 ta(gine)/ta(ine) 'one'
2 seik 'two'
3 seik mba ta 'two and one'
4 seik mba seik 'two and two'
5 lima-ngg 'hand-my'

References

  1. ^ Duwet at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b Holzknecht, Susanne (1989). The Markham Languages of Papua New Guinea. Pacific Linguistics. ISBN 0-85883-394-8.

^ Susanne Holzknecht (1989). The Markham Languages of Papua New Guinea. Pacific Linguistics. ISBN 0-85883-394-8.

  • Holzknecht, Susanne (2001). "Number and Person in the Duwet Language of Papua New Guinea." In Andrew Pawley, Malcolm Ross, and Darrell Tryon, eds., The Boy from Bundaberg: Studies in Melanesian Linguistics in Honour of Tom Dutton, 175-191. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.