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Awa

Language
Awa

Family
Trans-New Guinea

Ethnologue
awb

ISO
awb

glottolog_id
awap1236

Verbs table

gloss layer 1 sg nr_pst 2 sg nr_pst 3 sg nr_pst 1 incl du nr_pst 1 excl du nr_pst 2 du nr_pst 3 du nr_pst 1 incl pl nr_pst 1 excl pl nr_pst 2 pl nr_pst 3 pl nr_pst 1 sg pst 2 sg pst 3 sg pst 1 incl du pst 1 excl du pst 2 du pst 3 du pst 1 incl pl pst 1 excl pl pst 2 pl pst 3 pl pst 1 sg far_pst 2 sg far_pst 3 sg far_pst 1 incl du far_pst 1 excl du far_pst 2 du far_pst 3 du far_pst 1 incl pl far_pst 1 excl pl far_pst 2 pl far_pst 3 pl far_pst 1 sg fut 2 sg fut 3 sg fut 1 incl du fut 1 excl du fut 2 du fut 3 du fut 1 incl pl fut 1 excl pl fut 2 pl fut 3 pl fut 1 sg imp 2 sg imp 3 sg imp 1 sg avol 2 sg avol 3 sg avol 1 incl du avol 1 excl du avol 2 du avol 3 du avol 1 incl pl avol 1 excl pl avol 2 pl avol 3 pl avol 1 sg cert 2 sg cert 3 sg cert 1 incl du cert 1 excl du cert 2 du cert 3 du cert 1 incl pl cert 1 excl pl cert 2 pl cert 3 pl cert 1 sg dub 2 sg dub 3 sg dub 1 incl du dub 1 excl du dub 2 du dub 3 du dub 1 incl pl dub 1 excl pl dub 2 pl dub 3 pl dub
laugh lexeme wirëuq wirëonaq wirëiq wirëúyaq wirëúyaq wirëoyaq wirëoyaq wirëúnaq wirëúnaq wirëoq wirëoq wirëurauq wirëuronaq wirëuraiq wirëurauyaq wirëurauyaq wirëuroyaq wirëuroyaq wirëuraunaq wirëuraunaq wirëuyaq wirëuyaq wirëowaq wirëunaq wirëuq wirëowayaq wirëowayaq wirëuyaq wirëuyaq wirëowanaq wirëowanaq wirëuq wirëuq wirëini wirëinkë wirëinkë wirëoyë wirëoyëeta wirëigë wirëigë wirëonë wirëonëeq wirëigë wirëigë wirëuno wirëotao wirëoro wirëonë̀o wirëinëo wirëínëo wirëoyëo wirëoyëo wirëiyëo wirëiyëo wirëonëo wirëonëo wirëiyëo wirëiyëo
laugh suffix 1 u o i u u o o u u o o u u u u u u u u u u u o u u o o u u o o u u i i i o o i i o o i i u o o o i í o o i i o o i i i i i o o o o o o o o
laugh suffix 2 q naq q yaq yaq yaq yaq naq naq q q rauq ronaq raiq rauyaq rauyaq royaq royaq raunaq raunaq yaq yaq waq naq q wayaq wayaq yaq yaq wanaq wanaq q q ni nkë nkë yë yëeta gë gë në nëeq gë gë no tao ro nëo nëo nëo yëo yëo yëo yëo nëo nëo yëo yëo na nie na yëeta yëeta yëeta yëera nëeq nëeq nëeq nëera
laugh suffix 3 zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero uq woq wiq uq uq woq woq muq muq moq woq
see lexeme tagoq tagä́naq tagëq tagoyaq tagoyaq tagëyaq tagëyaq tagonaq tagonaq tagäq tagäq tagarauq tagaronaq tagaraiq tagarauyaq tagarauyaq tagaroyaq tagaroyaq tagaraunaq tagaraunaq tagoyaq tagoyaq tagawaq tagonaq tagoq tagawayaq tagawayaq tagoyaq tagoyaq tagäwanaq tagäwanaq tagoq tagoq tagani tagankë tagankë tagayë tagayëeta tagagë tagagë taganë taganëeq tagagë tagagë tagäno tagätao tagäro tagënëo tagënëo tagë̀nëo tagëyëo tagëyëo tagëo tagëo tagënëo tagënëo tagëo tagëo taganàuq taganìewoq taganàwiq tagayë̀etauq tagayë̀etauq tagayë̀etawoq tagayë̀erawoq taganë̀eqmúq taganë̀eqmúq taganë̀eqmoq taganë̀erawoq taganàbugapomo taganìe bonapomo taganàbirapomo tagayë̀etabuyapomo tagayë̀etabuyapomo tagayë̀etaboyapomo tagayë̀eraboyapomo taganë̀erabunapomo taganë̀erabunapomo taganë̀erabowapomo taganë̀erabowapomo
see suffix 1 o ä́ ë o o ë ë o o ä ä a a a a a a a a a o o ä o o ä ä o o ä ä o o a a a a a a a a a a a ä ä ä ë ë ë ë ë ë ë ë ë ë ë a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a
see suffix 2 q naq q yaq yaq yaq yaq naq naq q q rauq ronaq raiq rauyaq rauyaq royaq royaq raunaq raunaq yaq yaq waq naq q wayaq wayaq yaq yaq wanaq wanaq q q ni nkë nkë yë yëeta gë gë në nëeq gë gë no tao ro nëo nëo nëo yëo yëo o o nëo nëo o o na nie na yëeta yëeta yëeta yëera nëeq nëeq nëeq nëera na nie na yëeta yëeta yëeta yëera nëera nëera nëera nëera
see suffix 3 zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero uq woq wiq uq uq woq woq muq muq moq woq bugapomo bonapomo birapomo buyapomo buyapomo boyapomo boyapomo bunapomo bunapomo bowapomo bowapomo

Awa notes

General observations

  • Awa verbs are divided into two inflectional classes on the basis of the initial vowel of the endings. In the analyses this has been labelled 'theme'. The distinction appears to carry through the entire (quite large) paradigm.
  • The paradigms as given are not complete; in particular, there are a few (probably aspectual) verbal categories which are not thoroughly enough described to include.

Other observations

  • Although Loving and McKaughan (1964) imply that the inflectional classes are at least in part phonologically assigned on the basis of the last vowel of the stem (see 'Classes'), this doesn't seem to hold in any absolute fashion. Particularly telling is the behaviour of habitual verbs. These are formed by reduplication of the verb stem and the adoption of class II endings, regardless of the class of the base verb: e.g. sug-ëq 's/he slept' (class I), but sugasaga-iq 's/he always slept' (class II) or or tätor-ëq 'he held it', tätotätor-iq (class II) 'he repeatedly held it'.
  • One might be tempted to segment the word forms differently, and adjoin what has been labelled 'theme' to the stem, thereby collapsing the two inflectional classes. But the vowel alternates through the paradigm, and there is no regular mapping between the two classes that would permit one to be derived from the other.

Inflection classes

  • Class I (like 'see'): Loving & McKaughan (1964) say that this class includes stems in which the last V is -a (possibly followed by a consonant, usually -n or -q). But other final vowels are found as well: pëbeq 'turn', pugeq 'untie', suq 'throw away', tätoq 'hold'.
  • Class II (like 'laugh'): Loving & McKaughan (1964) say that this class includes stems in which the last V is -i, -u, -e, -ë, -ä (possibly followed by a consonant, usually -n or -q). But stems in -a are found as well: irar 'say', paban 'split'. Note that they do not give forms for the dubitative, nor can it be reliably reconstructed from their description.

Phonology/Symbols

segments

  • /q/ = glottal stop
  • /ä/ = mid central vowel
  • /ë/ = low front vowel

tone

There are tonal alternations in the paradigm (low, high, rising, falling), but Loving & McKaughan (1964) do not provide an analysis, and it is unclear how representative the example paradigms are. One thing that is clear: the 2nd and 3rd singular avolitional are distinguished by tone alone.

References

Loving, Richard, & Howard McKaughan. 1964. Awa verbs (part I: The internal structure of independant verbs, part II: The internal structure of dependent verbs). In: Alan Pence (ed.) Verb studies in five New Guinea languages, 1-44. Norman, Oklahoma: SIL.