Yele language

Yele
Yélî Dnye
Native toPapua New Guinea
RegionRossel Island, Louisiade Archipelago
Native speakers
(3,750 cited 1998)
Language codes
ISO 639-3yle
Glottologyele1255
ELPYele
Coordinates: 11°21′S 154°09′E / 11.350°S 154.150°E / -11.350; 154.150
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The Yele language, or Yélî Dnye (IPA: [jelɨ t̠n̠ʲɛ]), is the language of Rossel Island, the easternmost island in the Louisiade Archipelago off the eastern tip of Papua New Guinea. There were some 4,000 speakers in 1998, comprising the entire ethnic population. The language remains unclassified by linguists.

Classification

For now, the language is best considered unclassified. It has been classified as a tentative language isolate that may turn out to be related to the Anêm and Ata language isolates of New Britain (in a tentative Yele – West New Britain family). Typologically it is more similar to the Oceanic languages of southern New Guinea than to the isolates of New Britain. Word order tends to be subject–object–verb (SOV; verb-final).

Stebbins et al. (2018) classifies Yélî Dnye as an isolate. They explain similarities with Austronesian as being due to contact and diffusion.

Phonology

Yele has a uniquely rich set of doubly articulated consonants. In nearly all the languages of the world which have them, these are labial–velar consonants—that is, they are pronounced simultaneously with the lips and the back of the tongue, such as a simultaneous p and k. However, Yele is known to contrast other doubly articulated positions: besides labial–velar, it has two distinct labial–alveolar positions (laminal/dental and apical/postalveolar), as illustrated below.

The two coronal articulations are (1) laminal/dental and slightly pre-alveolar, sometimes transcribed tʸ, nʸ, etc. (see denti-alveolar consonant), and (2) apical and slightly post-alveolar, sometimes transcribed ṭ, ṇ etc., ʈ, ɳ, etc., or simply t, n, etc.

There are two other doubly articulated consonants, [l͡β] as in lvámê (a type of cane) and [j͡β̞]. The Yele w is labial–dental [β̞͡ð̞][verification needed], which may be also transcribed in some sources as []. These doubly articulated consonants contrast with labialization (SIL 1992/2004). Many articulations may also be palatalized. Stops may be either pre- or (except perhaps for /p/) post-nasalized. The consonant inventory includes the following:

Consonants
Labial Dental Alveolar Dorsal Labial-velar
plain lab. pal. lab. & pal. plain lab. pal. plain lab. pal. plain lab. pal.
Nasal m mʷʲ n̪͡m n̠͡m n̠ʲ ŋ ŋʷ ŋʲ ŋ͡m
Plosive p pʷʲ t̪͡p t̪ʲ t̠͡p t̠ʲ k k͡p
Fricative β βʲ ɣ
Approximant β̞͡ð̞ l l͡β j j͡β̞

It is not clear how many of the labial–velar and labial–alveolar consonants such as ŋ͡m may also be labialized or palatalized. Nor is it clear how many of these articulations occur prenasalized or with nasal release, but besides those noted above, the following are noted in SIL 1992/2004: /mbʷ,mbʷʲ,n̪d̪ʲ,t̠n̠ʲ,t̠͡pn̠͡mʲ,ŋkʷ,kŋʷ/.

The oral stops /pt̠k/ (that is, apart from dental /t̪/) are voiced between vowels and when prenasalized. The (post-)alveolar is further reduced to an (apparently dental) flap [ɾ̪] between vowels. Some of the palatalized alveolar stops are pronounced as fricatives or affricates, such as [tɕ] (or perhaps [ɕ]) and [ndʑ] (or perhaps [ʑ]), but SIL (1992/2004) contradicts itself as to which these are.

Yele also has many vowels, a noteworthy number of which are nasalized:

Vowels
Front Central Back
Oral Nasal Oral Nasal Oral Nasal
Close i ĩ ɨ u ũ
Near-close e ? ə ə̃ o õ?
Open-mid ɛ ɛ̃ ɔ ɔ̃
(Near-)open æ æ̃? ɐ ã ɑ ɑ̃

(The distinction between open-mid and close-mid nasal vowels is rather unusual, and SIL (1992/2004) provides no examples of the close-mid vowels. They also fail to provide an example of æ̃.)

Vowels may occur long or short. SIL (1992/2004) interprets other vowel sequences as being separated by /j,w/ rather than as diphthongs.

Given that vowels may be long or short, Yele syllables may only be of the form V or CV, and in the former case, apparently only /a/ or /u/.

Orthography

Orthography â a á d é e ê gh i î k l m n ń ng o ó p t u v w y
IPA ɑ a æ e ɛ ə ɣ i ɨ k l m ŋ ɔ o p u β j

The multigraphs for complex consonants are not always transparent. The labial-velar and labial-alveolar consonants are written with the labial second: kp, dp, tp, ngm, nm, ńm, lv. Prenasalized /mp/ is written mb, but /nt̪/ and /ŋk/ are written nt and nk to distinguish them from nd /nt̠/ and ng /ŋ/. Prenasalized stops are written with an m when labial, including doubly articulated stops, as with md /n̠͡mt̠͡p/ or mg /ŋ͡mk͡p/, and with n otherwise. Nasal release is likewise written n or m, as in dny /t̠n̠ʲ/, kn /kŋ/, dm /t̠͡pn̠͡m/, km /k͡pŋ͡m/. Labialization is written w, and palatalization y, apart from ch for /tʲ/ and nj for /ntʲ/ (it is not clear if ch and nj are dental or (post-)alveolar).

Of the vowels, only a and u occur initially. Long vowels are written doubled, and nasal vowels with a preceding colon (꞉a for /ã/), except for short vowels after a nasal consonant (or a nasal release?), where vowel nasality is not contrastive.

Grammar

Yele has been studied extensively by cognitive linguists. It has an extensive set of spatial postpositions. Yele has eleven postpositions equivalent to English on; using different ones depending factors such as whether the object is on a table (horizontal), a wall (vertical), or atop a peak; whether or not it is attached to the surface; and whether it is solid or granular (distributed).

Pronouns

Yele has a set of free pronouns and a set of bound possessive pronouns.

Singular Dual Plural
English Yele English Yele English Yele
1st person free I n̠ə we two n̪o we n̠͡mo
bound a n̪i n̠͡mɨ
2nd person free thou n̪i you two t̠͡pũ you n̪͡mo
bound N- t̠͡pɨ n̪͡me
3rd person free he/she they two they
bound u ji

Taboos and special registers

There are three different types of taboos present in Yélî Dnye: vocabulary avoided by women, vocabulary avoided when in the presence of in-laws and vocabulary related to sacred places. However, since the language has fallen into disuse, many of these language changes are no longer used.

Additionally, special registers and terms are used when discussing shell money (kêndapî), at a mortuary feast (kpaakpaa) and during songs.

Women's language

As a form of women's speech, women avoid certain words, especially those related to the sea. Instead, other words are substituted.

Sample women's language terms
Men's term Women's term Gloss
ntii tpili sea
nt:ee tpyele sea (locative)
nee dyudu canoe
kwede kódu yââ/mtene pyu bailer shell
lyé pele yââ coconut mat
mbwaa tolo fresh water
Lów:a mwada tpli pee Lów:a isle

In-laws

Since great respect is shown to in-laws on Rossel Island, speakers of Yélî Dnye will not say their in-laws' names, will only speak of each in-law using the polite third-person plural pronoun yi, and will replace certain words when speaking near them. While the alternative vocabulary is mostly no longer used, the name and pronoun taboos are still observed.

Most of the taboo words are body parts, clothing or carried possessions. Not all body words are replaced, however: for example, 'neck', 'Adam's apple' and 'stomach' retain their everyday forms.

Sample in-law terms
Everyday term In-law term Gloss
ngwolo yi wuché / yi chéé dê eye
kópu yi kp:aa têdê words
kêê yi kéépi hand
yodo yi mbwene belly
péé yi mgéé basket
kada ghââ in front of
tpe/tpoo yi tapa vagina

Vocabulary

Selected basic vocabulary items in Yélî Dnye:

gloss Yélî Dnye
bird ńmê; ńmo
blood wêê
bone dînê
breast ngmo
ear ngweńe
eat ma
egg w:uu
eye ngwolo
fire ndê; ndyuw:e
give yeede
go ; lili;
ground mbwóó; têpê
hair gh:aa
head ny:oo
leg yi
louse y:emê wee
man pi
moon d:ââ
name pi
one ngmidi
road, path maa
see m:uu
sky mbóó; vyââ
stone chêêpî
sun kââdî
tongue dêê
tooth nyóó
tree yi
two miyó
water mbwaa; tolo
woman kumbwada; pyââ

Sample text

Yélî Dnye:

Kiye w:ââ u pi Peetuuki, ka kwo, Doongê. Nê kuu. Daa a w:ââ. Nkal u w:ââ. Nkal ngê yinê kaa ngê. W:ââ dono. Pi yilî u te. U nuu u pi da tóó. Pi u lama daa tóó. M:iituwo Yidika, Mépé tp:oo mî kiye ngê. Daanté. Mépé dono ngê pyodo. Apê, W:ââ mbwámê nînê châpwo. Nkal ngê kwo, "Up:o" . W:ââ mî mbêpê wo, chii mênê. Mépé ngê w:ââ mbwámê mêdîpê châpwo. Awêde ka kwo, Doongê. Pi maa daa t:a. A danêmbum u dî.

Yélî Dnye in the International Phonetic Alphabet:

kijɛβ̞͡ð̞ɑ̃ːupipɛːt̪uːki,kakʷɔ,t̠ɔːŋə|n̠əkuː|t̠aːaβ̞͡ð̞ɑ̃ː|ŋkaluβ̞͡ð̞ɑ̃ː|ŋkalŋəjin̠əkaːŋə|β̞͡ð̞ɑ̃ːt̠ɔn̠ɔ|pijilɨut̪ɛ|un̠uːupit̠at̪oː|piulamat̠aːt̪oː|mĩːtuβ̞͡ð̞ɔjit̠ika,mepet̪͡pɔ̃ːmɨkijɛŋə|t̠aːn̪t̪e|mepet̠on̠oŋəpʲɔt̠ɔ|apə,β̞͡ð̞ɑ̃ːmpʷæmən̠ɨn̠ətʲɑpʷɔ|ŋkalŋəkʷɔ"upɔ̃"|β̞͡ð̞ɑ̃ːmɨmpəpəβ̞͡ð̞ɔ,tʲiːmən̠ə|mepeŋəβ̞͡ð̞ɑ̃ːmpʷæməmət̠ɨpətʲɑpʷɔ|aβ̞͡ð̞ət̠ɛkakʷɔ,t̠ɔːŋə|pimaːt̠aːt̪ã|at̠an̠əmpumutɨ|

Translation:

The savage dog is called "Peetuuki", and he lives at Doongê. It's nothing to do with me. It's not my dog. It's Nkal's dog. He raised it. It's a bad dog. It bites everyone. It doesn't like anyone. Recently it bit Mépé's son, Yidika. It really bit him hard. Mépé became very angry, and said, 'I'm going to kill that dog'. The dog ran away into the bush, so Mépé could not kill it. So now it's still there at Doongê, so there's not a safe road through there. That's the end of my story.

(SIL 1992/2004)


This page was last updated at 2024-02-26 14:05 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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