{{Short description|Oceanic language spoken in Papua New Guinea}} {{Infobox language |name = Khehek |nativename = {{lang|tlx|Levei-Ndrehet}} |states = Papua New Guinea |region = West-central Manus Island, Manus Province |speakers = 1,600 |date = 1991 |ref = e18 |familycolor = Austronesian |fam2 = Malayo-Polynesian |fam3 = Oceanic |fam4 = Admiralty Islands |fam5 = Eastern Admiralty Islands |fam6 = Manus |fam7 = West Manus |dia1 = Drehet (Ndrehet) |dia2 = Levei |iso3 = tlx |glotto=kheh1237 |glottorefname=Khehek |notice=IPA }}

'''Khehek''' is an Oceanic language spoken by approximately 1600 people on west-central Manus Island, Manus Province of Papua New Guinea. It has two dialects, '''Drehet''' and '''Levei''', which are sometimes considered separate languages.

==Phonology==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+Drehet dialect{{sfn|Blust|2005|p=234}} !rowspan="2" colspan="2"| !colspan="2"| Bilabial !rowspan="2"| Alveolar !rowspan="2"| Palatal !rowspan="2"| Velar |- ! <small>Plain</small> ! <small>Labialized</small> |- !rowspan="2"| Stop ! <small>Unaspirated</small> | {{IPA link|p}} | {{IPA link|pʷ}} | {{IPA link|t}} | {{IPA link|c}} | {{IPA link|k}} |- ! <small>Aspirated</small> | | | | | {{IPA link|kʰ}} |- !colspan="2"| Fricative | | | {{IPA link|s}} | | {{IPA link|h}} |- !colspan="2"| Nasal | {{IPA link|m}} | {{IPA link|mʷ}} | {{IPA link|n}} | | {{IPA link|ŋ}} |- !colspan="2"| Prenasalized trill | | | {{IPA|nᵈr}} | | |- !colspan="2"| Lateral | | | {{IPA link|l}} | | |- !colspan="2"| Trill | | | {{IPA link|r}} | | |- !colspan="2"| Semivowel | {{IPA link|w}} | | | {{IPA link|j}} | |}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+Levei dialect{{sfn|Blust|2005|p=234}} !rowspan="2"| ! colspan="2"| Bilabial ! rowspan="2"| Alveolar ! rowspan="2"| Palatal ! rowspan="2"| Velar |- ! <small>Plain</small> ! <small>Labialized</small> |- ! Stop | {{IPA link|p}} | {{IPA link|pʷ}} | {{IPA link|t}} | {{IPA link|c}} | {{IPA link|k}} |- ! Fricative | | | {{IPA link|s}} | | {{IPA link|h}} |- ! Nasal | {{IPA link|m}} | {{IPA link|mʷ}} | {{IPA link|n}} | | {{IPA link|ŋ}} |- ! Prenasalized trill | | | {{IPA|nᵈr}} | | |- ! Lateral | | | {{IPA link|l}} | | |- ! Trill | | | {{IPA link|r}} | | |- ! Semivowel | {{IPA link|w}} | | | {{IPA link|j}} | |}

==Notes== {{Reflist}}

== References == *{{cite journal |last=Blust |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Blust |year=2005 |title=Must sound change be linguistically motivated? |journal=Diachronica |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=219–269 |doi=10.1075/dia.22.2.02blu}}

== External links == * Kaipuleohone's Robert Blust collections include written and audio materials on the Levei dialect as well as [https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/33171 written] and [https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/4683 audio materials] on the Drehet dialect

{{Languages of Papua New Guinea}} {{Admiralty Islands languages}}

Category:Manus languages Category:Languages of Manus Province