Kobon language

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Kobon
Spoken in: Papua New Guinea 
Region: Madang Province, Middle Ramu District, and Western Highlands Province on Kaironk River in lower Jimi River area north of Mt. Hagen
Total speakers: 10,000
Language family: Trans-New Guinea
 Madang
  Rai Coast-Kalam
   Kalam
    Kalam-Kobon
     Kobon
Language codes
ISO 639-1: none
ISO 639-2: paa
ISO 639-3: kpw

Kobon (pronounced Kombon) is a language of Papua New Guinea. It has somewhere around 90-120 verbs.

Contents

[edit] Geographic distribution

Kobon is spoken in Papua New Guinea.


[edit] Sounds

[edit] Vowels


[edit] Consonants

Kobon distinguishes an alveolar lateral /l/, an alveolopalatal lateral /ȴ/, and a retroflex lateral flap.


[edit] Grammar

Kobon is an SOV language.

Like the other Kalam languages, Kobon is famous for having a very small number of verbs—perhaps less than 120 for the entire language. These verbs are combined with nouns into phrases with specific meanings, much as one says "have dinner" rather than "dine" in English.

This makes for an interesting window into semantics. One might expect that with a very limited set of verbs, their meanings would be quite general, as have, do, be and go are in English. To some extent this is born out. For example, there is only one verb of perception. That is, the same verb is used for see, hear, taste, smell, feel (both physically and emotionally), think, and understand (compare with "I see" for "I understand" in English). Another verb is used for making sound, whether it's speaking, singing, praying, crying, twigs breaking, rocks clattering, or water gurgling. However, some Kobon verbs are quite specific. There is one exception for sound, for example: there's a specific verb for calling a pig. There are also three verbs of pouring, depending on whether the thing being poured is solid, liquid, or food; and there is even a verb that means to quarter a cassowary.


[edit] Writing system

Kobon has been written in the Latin alphabet for over 30 years. The special letters ƚ and ɫ are used for the retroflex lateral flap and alveolopalatal lateral, respectively.

5–15% of Kobon speakers are literate.

[edit] External links


In other languages