Rumu language - Wikipedia
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"Kairi language" redirects here. For the Australian language, see Gayiri language.
| Rumu | |
|---|---|
| Kairi | |
| Region | Papua New Guinea |
Native speakers | (700 cited 1990)[1] |
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | klq |
| Glottolog | rumu1243 |
Rumu (Rumuwa), or Kairi (Kai-Iri), is a Papuan language of Papua New Guinea. Other names for it are Dumu (Tumu) and Kibiri.
| Labial | Alveolar | Dorsal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | p | t | k |
| Fricative | (s) | h | |
| Nasal | m | n | |
| Approximant | w | r | j |
- /r/ is pronounced [l] when word-initial and before /ɛ a ɔ/.
- /w/ is [β] before /i e ɛ/.
- /s/ only occurs in loanwords.
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i | u | |
| Mid-high | e ⟨ë⟩ | o ⟨ö⟩ | |
| Mid-low | ɛ | ɔ | |
| Low | a |
| -i | -e | -ɛ | -a | -ɔ | -u | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i- | ia | iɔ | ||||
| e- | (ei) | ea | eɔ | |||
| ɛ- | ɛi | ɛa | ɛu | |||
| a- | ai | ae | aɔ | au | ||
| o- | (oi) | oe | oa | |||
| ɔ- | ɔi | ɔɛ | ɔa | ɔu | ||
| u- | [ui] | uɔ |
- /ei/ has merged to [i] for many speakers.
- /oi/ has shifted to [ui] for many speakers.
Additionally, Rumu is tonal, distinguishing four tones: falling ⟨à⟩, rising ⟨á⟩, peaking ⟨â⟩, and level ⟨ā⟩.[2]