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Unua language

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(Redirected from Onua language) Austronesian language spoken in Vanuatu
Unua
Native toVanuatu
RegionMalekula
Native speakers(750 cited 1999)
Language familyAustronesian
Language codes
ISO 639-3onu
Glottologunua1237
ELPUnua
Unua is not endangered according to the classification system of the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Unua, or Onua, is an Oceanic language spoken in south-east Malekula, Vanuatu. It is said to be a dialect of the same language, Unua-Pangkumu, as Rerep (Pangkumu).

Phonology

The following table lists the contrastive consonant sounds of Unua. There are 16 consonant phonemes for younger Unua speakers and an additional three contrastive velarized labial consonants for older speakers, shown below in parentheses.

Consonants
Bilabial Coronal Dorsal
plain labial
Nasal m n
Plosive voiceless p () t k
prenasal ᵐb (ᵐbʷ) ⁿd ᵑɡ
Affricate t͡ʃ
Fricative β (βʷ) s ɣ
Rhotic/Trill ᵐʙ ɾ, r
Approximant l

The following table lists the contrastive vowel sounds of Unua. Younger speakers have five vowel phonemes and older speakers have an additional three, shown in parentheses.

Vowels
Front Central Back
High i (ʉ) u
Mid e (ø) (ɵ) o
Low a

Grammar

Unua has SVO ordering.

References

  1. Unua at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Pearce, Elizabeth (2015). A Grammar of Unua. Boston/Berlin/Munich: De Gruyter Mouton. ISBN 978-1-61451-765-8.
Languages of Vanuatu
Official languages
Indigenous
languages
(Southern
Oceanic

and Polynesian)
North
Vanuatu
Torres–Banks
Penama
Espiritu Santo
Central
Vanuatu
Epi
Malakula
South Vanuatu
Polynesian
Southern Oceanic languages
North
Vanuatu
Torres–Banks
Maewo–Ambae–
North Pentecost
South Pentecost
Espiritu Santo
Nuclear
Southern
Oceanic
Central Vanuatu
South Vanuatu
Erromango
Tanna
Loyalties–
New Caledonia
Loyalty Islands
New Caledonian
Southern
Northern
  • * indicates proposed status
  • ? indicates classification dispute
  • † indicates extinct status
Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages
SHWNG
Halmahera Sea
Ambel–Biga
Maya–Matbat
Maden
As
South Halmahera
Cenderawasih
Biakic
Yapen
Southwest
Oceanic
Admiralty
Eastern
Western
Saint Matthias
Temotu
Utupua
Vanikoro
Reefs–Santa Cruz
Southeast
Solomonic
Gela–Guadalcanal
Malaita–
San Cristobal
Western
Oceanic
Meso–Melanesian
Kimbe
New Ireland–
Northwest
Solomonic
Tungag–Nalik
Tabar
Madak
St. George
Northwest
Solomonic
North New Guinea
Sarmi–
Jayapura
 ?
Schouten
Huon Gulf
Ngero–Vitiaz
Papuan Tip
Nuclear
Kilivila–Misima
Nimoa–Sudest
Southern
Oceanic
North Vanuatu
Torres–Banks
Maewo–Ambae–
North Pentecost
South Pentecost
Espiritu Santo
Nuclear
Southern
Oceanic
Central Vanuatu
South Vanuatu
Erromango
Tanna
Loyalties–
New Caledonia
Loyalty Islands
New Caledonian
Southern
Northern
Micronesian
Nuclear
Micronesian
Chuukic–
Pohnpeic
Chuukic
Pohnpeic
Central Pacific
West
East
Polynesian
Nuclear
Polynesian
Samoic
Eastern
Futunic
Tongic
  • * indicates proposed status
  • ? indicates classification dispute
  • † indicates extinct status


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