Kaian language

See also: Kayan language (disambiguation)

Kaian
Kayan
Native to	Papua New Guinea
Region	Yawar Rural LLG, Madang Province
Native speakers	740 (2013)[1]
Language family	Ramu Ramu proper Lower Ramu Ottilien Watam Kaian
Language codes
ISO 639-3	kct
Glottolog	kaia1245
ELP	Kaian
Coordinates: 4.054465°S 144.736539°E / -4.054465; 144.736539 (Kaian)

Kaian (Kayan) is a Ramu language of Kaian village (4.054465°S 144.736539°E / -4.054465; 144.736539 (Kaian)) in Yawar Rural LLG, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.^[1][2]

Phonology

Consonants^[3]

	Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Plosive	p b	t d	dʒ	k g	ʔ
Prenasalized	ᵐb	ⁿd	ⁿdʒ	ᵑg
Fricative		s
Nasal	m	n		ŋ
Approximant	w	r	j

• /p t k/ are aspirated preceding a vowel.
• /k/ is heard as [ʔ] word-finally or preceding another plosive.
• /dʒ/ can be pronounced [ʒ] or [z] by some speakers.
• /r/ is voiceless [r̥] word-finally.

Vowels^[3]

	Front	Central	Back
High	i		u
Mid	e		o
Low		a

Additionally, the following diphthongs have been observed: /ai/, /au/, /ae/, /ao/, /ea/, /ia/, /iu/, /oa/, /oi/, /ou/, /ua/.

Stress is always found on the antepenultimate syllable. On shorter words, stress falls on the initial syllable.^[3]

References

1. Kaian at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
2. United Nations in Papua New Guinea (2018). "Papua New Guinea Village Coordinates Lookup". Humanitarian Data Exchange. 1.31.9.
3. Lillie, Pat; Easton, Catherine (2004). Kaian Organised Phonology Data. SIL International.