Tolai language

{{short description|Spoken by the Tolai people of Papua New Guinea}}  {{Infobox language | name = Tolai | altname = Kuanua | nativename = {{lang|ksd|Tinata Tuna}} | states = [[Papua New Guinea]] | region = [[Gazelle Peninsula]], [[East New Britain]] Province | ethnicity = [[Tolai people|Tolai]] | speakers = 61,000 | date = 1991 | ref = e18 | speakers2 = 20,000 [[Second language|L2]] speakers | familycolor = Austronesian | fam2 = [[Malayo-Polynesian languages|Malayo-Polynesian]] | fam3 = [[Oceanic languages|Oceanic]] | fam4 = [[Western Oceanic languages|Western]] | fam5 = [[Meso-Melanesian languages|Meso-Melanesian]] | fam6 = (St George linkage) | fam7 = [[Patpatar–Tolai languages|Patpatar–Tolai]] | iso3 = ksd | glotto = kuan1248 | glottorefname = Kuanua | script = [[Latin script]] (Tolai alphabet) [[Tolai Braille]] }}

The '''Tolai language''', or '''Kuanua''', is spoken by the [[Tolai people]] of [[Papua New Guinea]], who live on the [[Gazelle Peninsula]] in [[East New Britain]] Province.

==Nomenclature== This language is often referred to in the literature as ''Tolai''. However, Tolai is actually the name of the cultural group. The Tolais themselves refer to their language as {{Lang|ksd|a tinata tuna}}, which translates as 'the real language'. {{Lang|rai|Kuanua}} is apparently{{Clarify|date=February 2023}} a word in [[Ramoaaina language|Ramoaaina]] meaning 'the place over there'.

==Classification== Tolai belongs to the [[Oceanic languages|Oceanic]] branch of the [[Austronesian languages|Austronesian]] [[language family]]. The most immediate subgroup is the [[Patpatar–Tolai]] group of languages which also includes [[Lungalunga language|Lungalunga]] (also spoken on the Gazelle Peninsula) and [[Patpatar]] (spoken on [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]]).

==Characteristics== [[File:Bible in Tinata Tuna, Maynooth University.jpg|thumb|[[New Testament]]s in Tolai: ''A Buk Tabu Kalamana Ure Iesu Karisito'': "The New Holy Book about [[Jesus Christ]]"]]

Unlike many languages in Papua New Guinea, Tolai is a healthy language and not in danger of dying out to [[Tok Pisin]], though Tolai has many loanwords from Tok Pisin; e.g. the original {{Lang|ksd|kubar}} has been completely usurped by the Tok Pisin {{Lang|tpi|braun}} for 'brown', and the Tok Pisin {{lang|tpi|vilivil}} for 'bicycle' has replaced the former {{lang|ksd|aingau}}. It is considered a prestigious language and is the primary language of communication in the two major centers of East New Britain: [[Kokopo]] and [[Rabaul]].

Tolai lost the phoneme {{IPA|/s/}}. For instance, the word for 'sun' in closely related languages of South [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]] is {{lang|mis|kesakese}}, and this has been reduced to {{Transliteration|ksd|keake}} in Tolai. However, {{IPA|/s/}} has been reintroduced through numerous loanwords from English and Tok Pisin.

==Geographic distribution== Tolai is spoken on the Gazelle Peninsula in the East New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea.

===Derived languages=== Tolai is said to be one of the major [[Substrata (linguistics)|substratum]] languages of [[Tok Pisin]]. Some common Tok Pisin vocabulary items that likely come from Tolai (or a closely related language) include:

: {{lang|tpi|aibika}} (from {{Transliteration|ksd|ibika}}) – [[Abelmoschus manihot|Hibiscus manihot]] : {{lang|tpi|buai}} – '[[betelnut]]' : {{lang|tpi|diwai}} (from {{lang|ksd|dawai}}) – 'tree, wood' : {{lang|tpi|guria}} – 'earthquake' : {{lang|tpi|kawawar}} (from {{Transliteration|ksd|kavavar}}) – 'ginger' : {{lang|tpi|kiau}} – 'egg' : {{lang|tpi|lapun}} – 'elderly person' : {{lang|tpi|liklik}} (from {{Transliteration|ksd|ikilik}}) – 'small' : {{lang|tpi|umben}} (from {{Transliteration|ksd|uben}}) – 'fishing net'

== Phonology == Phonology of the Tolai language:<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Franklin |first1=Karl J. |url=https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/3907 |title=Tolai Language Course |last2=Kerr |first2=Harland B. |last3=Beaumont |first3=Clive H. |publisher=Summer Institute of Linguistics |year=1974 |isbn=0-88312-207-3 |edition=third |location=Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Consonant sounds ! colspan="2" | ! [[Labial consonant|Labial]] ! [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]] ! [[Velar consonant|Velar]] |- ! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]] |{{IPA link|m}} |{{IPA link|n}} |{{IPA link|ŋ}} |- ! rowspan="2" |[[Plosive]] !voiceless |{{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|t}} |{{IPA link|k}} |- !voiced |{{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|d}} |{{IPA link|ɡ}} |- ! colspan="2" | [[Fricative]] |{{IPA link|β}} |{{IPA link|s}} | |- ! rowspan="2" |[[Liquid consonant|Liquid]] ![[Rhotic consonant|rhotic]] | |{{IPA link|r}} | |- ![[Lateral consonant|Lateral]] | |{{IPA link|l}} | |- ! colspan="2" |[[Semivowel]] |({{IPA link|w}}) | | |}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Vowel sounds ! ![[Front vowel|Front]] ![[Central vowel|Central]] ![[Back vowel|Back]] |- ![[High vowel|High]] |{{IPA link|i}} | |{{IPA link|u}} |- ![[Mid vowel|Mid]] |{{IPA link|e}} | |{{IPA link|o}} |- ![[Low vowel|Low]] | |{{IPA link|a}} | |}

Vowel sounds can also be realised as {{IPA|[ɪ, ɛ, ʌ, ɔ, ʊ].}} {{IPA|/i/}} can be pronounced as {{IPA|[j]}} in word-initial position.

==Grammar==

===Independent pronouns===

Tolai pronouns have four [[grammatical number|number]] distinctions (singular, dual, trial and plural) and three [[grammatical person|person]] distinctions (first person, second person and third person) as well as an [[inclusive and exclusive we|inclusive/exclusive]] distinction. There are no [[grammatical gender|gender distinctions]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" !colspan=2| ! Singular !! Dual !! Trial !! Plural |- !rowspan=2| 1st ! exclusive | {{lang|ksd|iau}} (I) | {{lang|ksd|(a)mir}} (he/she and I) | {{lang|ksd|(a)mital}} (both of them, and I) | {{lang|ksd|avet}} (all of them, and I) |- ! inclusive | - | {{lang|ksd|dor}} (thou and I) | {{lang|ksd|datal}} (both of you, and I) | {{lang|ksd|dat}} (all of you, and I) |- !colspan=2| 2nd | {{lang|ksd|u}} (thou) | {{lang|ksd|(a)mur}} (you two) | {{lang|ksd|(a)mutal}} (you three) | {{lang|ksd|avat}} (you guys) |- !colspan=2| 3rd | {{lang|ksd|ia}} (he/she) | {{lang|ksd|dir}} (they two) | {{lang|ksd|dital}} (they three) | {{lang|ksd|diat}} (they) |}

The plural pronouns lose their final ''-t'' when used before a verb. *{{lang|ksd|'''Da''' vana!}} – 'Let's go!' *{{lang|ksd|Pa '''ave''' gire.}} – 'We didn't see.' *{{lang|ksd|'''Dia''' tar pot}} – 'They have already arrived.'

===Syntax=== The usual word order of Tolai is [[agent–verb–object]] (AVO/SVO).

===Morphology=== There is an irregular pattern involving the prefix {{lang|ksd|ni-}}, which changes a verb to a noun. Ordinarily, the prefix is added to the verb, as in {{lang|ksd|laun}} 'to live' → {{lang|ksd|a '''ni'''laun}} 'the life', {{lang|ksd|ian}} 'to eat' → {{lang|ksd|a '''ni'''an}} 'the food', {{lang|ksd|aring}} 'to pray' → {{lang|ksd|a '''ni'''aring}} 'the prayer'. However, in some cases it becomes an [[infix]] {{angbr|{{lang|ksd|in}}}}: {{lang|ksd|varubu}} 'to fight' → {{lang|ksd|a v'''in'''arubu}} 'the fight', {{lang|ksd|tata}} 'to talk' → {{lang|ksd|a t'''in'''ata}} 'the language', {{lang|ksd|mamai}} 'to chew betelnut' → {{lang|ksd|a m'''in'''amai}} '(a small supply of) betelnuts for chewing'. This infix is inserted after the initial phoneme of the verb. It could also be described as the prefix {{lang|ksd|ni-}} being added as a prefix, and the initial phoneme of the verb changing places with the ''n'' of the prefix.

==Notes== {{Reflist}}

==References== * {{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/tolaisyntaxitshi0092mose |title=Tolai Syntax and Its Historical Development |last=Mosel |first=Ulrike |publisher=Pacific Linguistics |year=1984 |isbn=978-0-85883-309-8 |location=Canberra |doi=10.15144/pl-b92 |hdl=1885/145237 |doi-access=free |hdl-access=free |url-access=registration }} * {{Cite book |title=The Oceanic Languages |last1=Lynch |first1=John |last2=Ross |first2=Malcolm |last3=Crowley |first3=Terry |publisher=[[Curzon Press]] |year=2002 |location=Richmond, Surrey |author-link=John Lynch (linguist) |author-link2=Malcolm Ross (linguist) |author-link3=Terry Crowley (linguist) }}

==External links== {{Wiktionary|Category:Tolai lemmas}} *[https://pnglanguages.sil.org/resources/archives/3907 Tolai Language Course] *[http://www.language-museum.com/encyclopedia/k/kuanua.htm Language Museum page on Tolai] *A number of collections in [[Paradisec]] include [http://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/search?language_code=ksd materials in Tolai]

[[Category:Languages of East New Britain Province]] [[Category:Subject–verb–object languages]] [[Category:St George linkage]]