West Ambae (also known as Duidui, the principal dialect, and Opa, the Mota name for the island) is an Oceanic language spoken on Ambae, Vanuatu. Recognized dialects of West Ambae include Walaha and Nduindui (Duindui). The New Testament was published in West Ambae in 1984.
| West Ambae | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Vanuatu |
| Region | Ambae |
Native speakers | 8,700 (2001)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | nnd |
| Glottolog | west2513 |
 West Ambae is not endangered according to the classification system of the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Phonology
edit| Bilabial | Alveolar | Velar | Labiovelar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | voiceless | t | k | kʷ | ||
| voiced | ᵐb | ⁿd | (ŋ)ɡ | (ŋ)ɡʷ | ||
| Fricative | β | s | h | |||
| Nasal | m | n | ŋ | ŋʷ | ||
| Rhotic | r | |||||
| Lateral | l | |||||
Voiced stops /ɡ, ɡʷ/ occur as prenasalized /ᵑɡ, ᵑɡʷ/, in the Walaha dialect.[2]
References
edit- ^ West Ambae at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Aru, Carol Cecilia (2015). A Short Grammar of Duidui: A Language of West Ambae in Northern Vanuatu. University of the South Pacific.
External links
edit- A Halagi Huri Lai A Sacrament Laqa Na Tanaloi u Lena Anglican Holy Communion Prayers in Nduindui (1965), digitized by Richard Mammana and Charles Wohlers
- Hala Na Tataro Tana Tataro Ginia Lolo Imada Simplified Anglican Morning and Evening Prayer (1965), digitized by Richard Mammana
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