Mufian language


Mufian, or Southern Arapesh, is an Arapesh language of Papua New Guinea. Dialects are Supari, Balif, Filifita, Iwam-Nagalemb, Nagipaem; Filifita speakers are half the population, at 6,000 in 1999. It is spoken in 36 villages, most of which are located within Bumbita-Muhian Rural LLG, East Sepik Province. It is also spoken in Supari ward of Albiges-Mablep Rural LLG.

Phonology

/ʔʷ/ is a coarticulated glottal stop with lip rounding that occurs only in final word positions.
FrontCentralBack
High
Mid
Low

Pronouns

Southern Arapesh pronouns are:

Noun classes

There are 17 classes for count nouns in Mufian, plus two extra classes, i.e. proper names and place names. Noun classes are expressed in noun suffixes, adjective suffixes, and verb prefixes.
Although Southern Arapesh has more than a dozen noun classes, only four noun classes are determined by semantics, while the other noun classes are determined phonologically using the final root segment. The four semantically determined noun classes are:
The membership of the other twelve classes is determined phonologically, by the final segment of the root, as in the Lower Sepik languages.
Some examples of Mufian noun classes from Alungum :
ClassForm Form GlossSg. Noun SuffixSg. Adjective SuffixSg. Verb PrefixPl. Noun SuffixPl. Adjective SuffixPl. Verb Prefix
Class 1bolbongofpig-l-lil--ngof-ngufif-
Class 2éngelangofname-ngél-ngilig--ngof-ngufif-
Class 3nalofnaleleftooth-f-fif--lef-lefif-
Class 4lowaflu'ongofclothes-f-fif--nguf-fif-
Class 5batéwinbatéwischild-n-nin--s-sis-
Class 6alupinialupisifriend-ni-nin--si-sis-
Class 7nombatnombangwdog-t, -ta-teit--ngw-ngwigw-
Class 8nemata'wnematawawoman-'w-kwikw--wa-weiw-
Class 9namnaepeye-m-mim--p-pip-
Class 10lawanglawahtree-g, -ga-gweig--h-ngéhih-
Class 11bembbembehbetel nut-b-mbib--h-mbihih-
Class 12nongwatopnongwatohknife-p-pip--h-hih-
Class 13wambelwalembvillage-mbel-mbilib--lemb-lembib-
Class 14mai'unama'unambpigeon-a-nin--amb-mbib-
Class 15usinusimbcrested pigeon-n-nin--b-mbib-
Class 16amanamamman-n-nein--m-mim-
Class 17koskoscourse-s-sis--s-sis-

There are a few irregularities in these noun classes.