Yawa language

Not to be confused with Yapen languages (Austronesian).

Yawa
Native to	Indonesia
Region	Cenderawasih Bay
Native speakers	10,000 (2011)[1]
Language family	West Papuan ? Yawan Yawa
Language codes
ISO 639-3	yva
Glottolog	nucl1454

Yawa (Yava) is the Papuan language of central Yapen Island in Geelvink (Cenderawasih) Bay, Indonesia. Alternative names are Iau (not the same as Iau language), Mantembu, Mora (not Mora language), Turu, and Yapanani.

Phonology

Vowels

^[2]

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i		u
Mid	e		o
Open		a

Consonants

^[2]

	Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar
Nasal	m	n	ɲ
Plosive	p	t		k
	b	d	ɟ
Fricative		s	ʃ
Trill		r
Approximant	w		j

References

1. Yawa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. 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.