Lakon language

For other uses, see Lakona (disambiguation).
Lakon
Vure
Native to Vanuatu
Region Gaua
Native speakers
 800 (2012)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3 lkn
Glottolog lako1245[2]

Lakon [lakɔn] is an Oceanic language, spoken on the west coast of Gaua island in Vanuatu.

Names

Lakon is named after the area where it is spoken, also known as Lakona Bay, which encompasses the west coast of Gaua. It is sometimes referred to as Lakona (after its name in Mota). Its former dialects include Qatareu (Qätärew), Vure (Vurē), Toglatareu, Togla.

Phonology

Lakon has 16 phonemic vowels. These include 8 short /i ɪ ɛ æ a ɔ ʊ u/ and 8 long vowels /iː ɪː ɛː æː aː ɔː ʊː uː/.[3]

Lakon vowels
  Front Central Back
Near-close i ∙ iː   u ∙ uː
Close-mid ɪ ∙ ɪː   ʊ ∙ ʊː
Open-mid ɛ ∙ ɛː   ɔ ∙ ɔː
Near-open æ ∙ æː    
Open   a ∙ aː  

Historically, the phonemicisation of vowel length originates in the compensatory lengthening of short vowels when the alveolar trill /r/ was lost syllable-finally.[4]

References

  1. ↑ François (2012:88).
  2. ↑ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2016). "Lakon". Glottolog 2.7. Jena: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
  3. ↑ François (2005:445), François (2011:194).
  4. ↑ François (2005:461).

Bibliography

External links

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