Lemerig language

Lemerig (sometimes also called Pak, Päk, or Sasar) is an Oceanic language spoken on Vanua Lava, in Vanuatu.

Lemerig
Native toVanuatu
RegionVanua Lava
Native speakers
2 (2010)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3lrz
Glottologleme1238[2]

Lemerig is no longer actively spoken. The 2 remaining speakers live on the northern coast of the island.[3] The language has receded in favour of its neighbours Mwotlap and Vera'a.[1]

Phonology

Lemerig has 11 phonemic vowels. These are all short monophthongs /i ɪ ɛ æ a œ ø ɒ̝ ɔ ʊ u/.[4]

Lemerig vowels
Front Back
plain round
Close i u
Near-close ɪøʊ
Open-mid ɛœɔ
Near-open æ ɒ̝
Open a

Grammar

The system of personal pronouns in Lemerig contrasts clusivity, and distinguishes four numbers (singular, dual, trial, plural).[5]

Spatial reference in Lemerig is based on a system of geocentric (absolute) directionals, which is in part typical of Oceanic languages, in part innovative.[6]

References

  1. François 2012, p. 87.
  2. Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Lemerig". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
  3. List of Banks islands languages.
  4. François 2011, p. 194.
  5. François 2016.
  6. François 2015, pp. 169–170.

Bibliography

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