Mentawai language

The Mentawai language is an Austronesian language, spoken by the Mentawai people of the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Dialects

According to Ethnologue, Mentawai dialects include: Silabu, Sipura Ã¢Â€Â“ Simalegi, Sakalagan, Saumanganja Ã¢Â€Â“ North Siberut, South Siberut Ã¢Â€Â“ Taikaku Ã¢Â€Â“ Pagai.

Syamsir Arifin, et al. (1992) list twelve dialects of Mentawai:

• Mentawai
• South Siberut
• Madobat
• Salappa
• Ulubaga
• Sipora
• Bariulou
• Bosua
• Sioban
• North Pagai
• Pasapuat
• Silabu
• Saumanganya
• South Pagai
• Boriai
• Bulasat
• Sikakap

Dialects in Siberut Island are:

• Sikapone
• Togiiite
• Pokai
• Simajegi
• Simatalu
• Paipajet
• Sakuddei
• Sagulubbe
• Sirileleu
• Sikabaluan
• Sempungan
• Saibi & Sarabua
• Silaoinan
• Sarareiket
• Sabirut

Phonology

Consonants

• Allophones of /b É¡ k/ can be heard as [β É£ ʔ]. [t͡ɕ] is a distinct sound in Mentawai, but not given phoneme status by Syamsir et al. because of the lack of minimal contrasts.
• The semivowels /w j/ only appear in final position.

Vowels

References

Bibliography