Name That Language!

[Zju]

Is it spoken in the Himalayas?

[Nortaneous]

The combination of seemingly strict CV and <y w> as vowels is surprising - that orthographic choice is typically a NE India / W Burma thing (Kokborok, Senthang), but those languages all(?) have an abundance of checked syllables except Maraic, which preserves the typical Kuki-Chin complex onsets.

It's not a nonstandard transcription of a Naga language, is it? Poula fits the observed phonology well but AFAIK isn't written like that.

[Nortaneous]

it is indeed Poula - Veikho's grammar makes interesting transcription decisions

[Karch]

it is indeed Poula - Veikho's grammar makes interesting transcription

Yeah. I've considered rewriting the example in the practical orthography, but I'm not exactly sure how it works, so I just left it as it is.

[Nortaneous]

Baa a tabaraan i pari paa kon ta muaana, i waan u ra kum wanua baa pa ta palaa iaai, kupi in ngo, iaku pa i baat paa ta wanua baa in ngo iaai. Io, i piri lenbi, ‘Ang waan talili balet kup anung ruma, baa iaau pari paa koni.’ Ma baa i waan paat, i baboi baa di aa aarupa taai, ma di aa maar taai. Namur i waan ma i ben paa balet 7 na tabaraan, baa diat aaka aakit koni, ma diat ruk raap taau u ra ruma maa, ma diat ki uni. Io, a lalaaun anu ra muaana maa i aaka aakit ma ko ra lalaaun baa i watur akotoi namuga.

[bradrn]

⟨a aa e i o u⟩ is a very distinctive vowel system — I’m guessing Papuan on that basis. I’m going to further guess Telefol, on the basis that the vowel system is about right and a little snippet of text I found has more or less the same look.

(Ironically, Dom has the same vowel system, but of course I just did that one and it looks totally different.)

Also, is ⟨7⟩ a typo?

EDIT: No, it probably isn’t Telefol, ⟨ii⟩ and ⟨uu⟩ are too common there. Is it at least Ok?

[Nortaneous]

Is it at least Ok?

No.

Also, is ⟨7⟩ a typo?

No.

[bradrn]

On further searching, I’m wondering now if this is Gadsup. Frantz’s orthography would match ⟨aa⟩, I believe.

[Nortaneous]

On further searching, I’m wondering now if this is Gadsup. Frantz’s orthography would match ⟨aa⟩, I believe.

No. (Note word-initial <ng>.)

[bradrn]

On further searching, I’m wondering now if this is Gadsup. Frantz’s orthography would match ⟨aa⟩, I believe.

No. (Note word-initial <ng>.)

Ah, pity. I can’t seem to get access to any actual Gadsup data aside from a handful of words quoted elsewhere, so it was pure speculation.

(Also, thanks for the clue…)

[Karch]

Baa a tabaraan i pari paa kon ta muaana, i waan u ra kum wanua baa pa ta palaa iaai, kupi in ngo, iaku pa i baat paa ta wanua baa in ngo iaai. Io, i piri lenbi, ‘Ang waan talili balet kup anung ruma, baa iaau pari paa koni.’ Ma baa i waan paat, i baboi baa di aa aarupa taai, ma di aa maar taai. Namur i waan ma i ben paa balet 7 na tabaraan, baa diat aaka aakit koni, ma diat ruk raap taau u ra ruma maa, ma diat ki uni. Io, a lalaaun anu ra muaana maa i aaka aakit ma ko ra lalaaun baa i watur akotoi namuga.

Duke of York.

[bradrn]

Duke of York.

Oh. I knew I should have re-asked for confirmation that I was right in guessing Papuan. (Nort never answered so I just assumed I got that right.)

[Nortaneous]

Baa a tabaraan i pari paa kon ta muaana, i waan u ra kum wanua baa pa ta palaa iaai, kupi in ngo, iaku pa i baat paa ta wanua baa in ngo iaai. Io, i piri lenbi, ‘Ang waan talili balet kup anung ruma, baa iaau pari paa koni.’ Ma baa i waan paat, i baboi baa di aa aarupa taai, ma di aa maar taai. Namur i waan ma i ben paa balet 7 na tabaraan, baa diat aaka aakit koni, ma diat ruk raap taau u ra ruma maa, ma diat ki uni. Io, a lalaaun anu ra muaana maa i aaka aakit ma ko ra lalaaun baa i watur akotoi namuga.

Duke of York.

Yes.

[Karch]

Maniñomo boto weme Waawe ingante tenonani wenganta nanikabo anobain. Monato monakaya Kawiya tono terekemonapa. Nanabarankaya nonkonatapa ante ake kera apa. Tomenani apote mamo anoyomo kononkerani. Awemparo menkayonta wepei kon kein. Ñene amo teeme awe maniganka awenpa ganka i. Oon pikewe ii, pikewe, ino ganka awoto taaro ganka goro winewe. Amo eiyomi tente pokemiñe webi. Ae toma yoge gikape pere tae.

[Zju]

Polynesian?

[bradrn]

I’d guess South American, rather.

[Darren]

Waorani?

[Karch]

Waorani?

Waorani. Was it really that easy?

[Darren]

Waorani?

Waorani. Was it really that easy?

The lack of /d u/ and fricatives, and having all of /m n ɲ ŋ/ is fairly distinctive.

(Next text coming this evening)

[Darren]

Rapiyɨ, pina, riyɨ tweyɨkɨ rapiyɨ, pina wa kwaiyɨ ain nabaut. Nam tɨtariyonwalwɨ alau pa i go tertinpela alau pewa tɨmkɨlwanikea rikwɨ paloru pa.