lingvo.wikisort.org - Language

The Sonsorolese language is a Micronesian language spoken in Palau, originally on the islands composing the state of Sonsorol, and spreading through migration elsewhere in the country. It is very close to Tobian.

Sonsorolese
Ramari Dongosaro
Native to	Palau
Region	Palau: originally Sonsorol state (all three inhabited islands Sonsorol, Pulo Ana and Merir)
Native speakers	400 (2007)[1]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Oceanic Micronesian Proper Chuukic Sonsorolese
Writing system	Latin script
Official status
Official language in	Palau
Language codes
ISO 639-3	sov
Glottolog	sons1242
ELP	Sonsorol
Sonsorolese
Coordinates: 5.33°N 132.22°E / 5.33; 132.22

Introduction

History

Sonsorolese is mostly spoken in the Palau archipelago, particularly in Sonsorol, Pulo Ana, and the Merir Islands.[2] It is one of two indigenous languages spoken in the area.

Population

There are about 360 speakers spread out across 60 islands. Most speakers of Sonsorol are bilingual, with their second language being English.[3] The language is an official language for the areas where it is spoken. It is usually used for the state's internal communications, like announcements and invitations.[4] Some closely related languages of Sonsorol are Ulithian, Woleaian, and Satawalese. The language is part of the Austronesian language family. Most of the population have migrated from the islands of the Sonsorol state to Palau's main town, Koror and Echang village.[4] The reasons are various, including economic and environmental. Young Sonsorolese speakers use a mixture of Palauan, English and Sonsorolese, what is called Echangese and is different from what the elder generation speaks.[4] There are currently less than 20 speakers over 60 years old.[4]

Geographic distribution

• Northern Mariana Islands: unknown (immigrant language)
• Palau: 600 speakers
  • Sonsorol: 60 speakers+
    • Merir: 5 speakers+
    • Pulo Anna: 25 speakers+
    • Sonsorol: 29 speakers+
  • Rest of the country: 540 speakers

Dialects

• Pulo-Anan
• Sonsorolese

Phonology

Consonants

In Sonsorolese, there are 19 consonants. These consonants are: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /c/, /k/, /g/, /m/, /n/, /f/, /v/, /j/, /x/, /ɣ/, /r/, /w/, /s/, /ŋ/, and /ʟʲ/.[5]

IPA chart Sonsorolese consonants

	Labial		Dental-Alveolar		Palatal		Velar
Nasal		m		n				ŋ
Plosive	p	b	t	d	c		k	g
Fricative	f	v	s			j	x	ɣ
Continuant		w		r				ʟʲ

Vowels

Sonsorolese has five vowels: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/. There are also diphthongs, including /ae/, /ai/, /ao/, and /au/. An example of the diphthong /ae/ is mae, which means "breadfruit".[5]

Voiceless vowels

Voiceless vowels occur in three contexts: “as finals, after a consonant, after a full, generally long vowel, and before a consonant, when they are acoustically similar to falling diphthongs, after non-final consonants a furtive /i/ or /u/ produces palatalization or velarisation (respectively) of the consonants".[5]^{[clarification needed]}

Orthography and pronunciation

Sonsorolese is primarily a spoken language. Many of the sounds are like those in Tobian and Woleaian. A couple of dialects include the pronunciation of d, which is common at the beginning of words and similar to [ð]; r is pronounced as in Spanish; also, l is always pronounced with tongue touching the back roof of the mouth and sounds something like a combination of the [ɡ] and [l] sounds. For that reason, some Sonsorolese prefer to spell their els as ⟨ɡl⟩. As in Woleaian, voiceless vowels are usually found at the end of Sonsorolese words. For example, in Dongosaro, the native name for Sonsorol island, the final -o is voiceless.[4]

Written documents in Sonsorolese include the Constitution of Sonsorol State and certain parts of the Bible.[4] However, there seems to be a confusion regarding the Bible since there seems not to be a distinction between Tobian and Sonsorolese. ^{[citation needed]}

• a – [a]
• ae – [ae]
• ai – [ai]
• ao – [ao]
• au – [au]
• b – [b]
• c – [c]
• d – [d/ð]
• e – [e]
• f – [f]
• g – [g/ɣ]
• h – [x]
• i – [i]
• k – [k]
• l – [ʟʲ]
• m – [m]
• n – [n]
• ng – [ŋ]
• o – [o]
• p – [p]
• r – [r]
• s – [s]
• t – [t]
• u – [u]
• v – [v]
• w – [w]
• y – [j][6]^{[better source needed]}

Grammar

Basic word order

Sonsorolese's basic word order is subject, object, verb (SOV).

An example of the use of the SOV word order is:

In questions, the word order stays the same.

• Emaho tipomu = Are you happy?

Reduplication

There is full reduplication in the Sonsorol language. E.g. 'orange' = hulu, 'oranges' = huluhulu.

Numerals

The numeral system of Sonsorolese is base-10. The numeral system can go up to 1,000, which is "da ngaladi".[3]

• deo "one"
• luwou "two"
• doruw "three"
• fauw "four"
• rimouwa "five"
• worouwa "six"
• fuduwa "seven"
• waruwa "eight"
• tiwouwa "nine"
• delh "ten"
• liyelh "twenty"

Vocabulary

• meta?: "what?"
• ehamatahutohu: "dangerous"
• fou: "cold"
• itei hae ramari Dongosaro: "I don't speak Sonsorolese"
• halifato: "apple"
• fadolo: "banana"
• buu: "betel nut"
• farawo: "bread"
• hayang: "chicken"
• rutouya: "coconut"
• sahai: "egg"
• iha: "fish"
• als: "ice"
• woto: "taro"
• lahumu: "land crab"
• babai: "papaya"
• pelhi: "pork"
• raes: "rice"
• bito: "come"

References

Further reading

• Capell, A. (1969). Grammar and Vocabulary of the Language of Sonsorol – Tobi. Sydney: University Of Sydney.
• Ethnologue, (2014). Sonsorol. [online] Available at: https://www.ethnologue.com/language/sov
• Isles-of-the-sea.org. (2014). Sonsorol | isles of the sea bible translation. http://isles-of-the-sea.org/projects/sonsorol/.
• Palaunet.com. (2014). Culture of Palau. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.palaunet.com/pw_culture.aspx
• The Joshua Project:. Sonsorol in Palau ethnic people profile. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php?rog3=PS&peo3=14999
• Sonsorol.com. (2014).
• Sonsorol-island.blogspot.com. (2014).
• Wals.info, (2014). WALS Online – Language Sonsorol-Tobi. Available at: http://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_son

External links

• Language page at Sonsorol.com
• Recordings of lexical items, paradigms and narratives archived with Kaipuleohone
• OLAC resources in and about the Sonsorol language

На других языках

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[de] Sonsorolesische Sprache

Sonsorolesisch ist eine mikronesische Sprache, die auf dem zu Palau gehörenden administrativen Staat Sonsorol und den Nördlichen Marianen von ca. 600 Menschen als Muttersprache gesprochen wird, weltweit sprechen ca. 2.000 Menschen diese Sprache.

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- [en] Sonsorolese language

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[es] Idioma sonsorol

El idioma sonsorol es una lengua micronesia hablada en Palaos y en las Islas Marianas del Norte; es lengua oficial en el estado de Sonsoral o Sonsorol, aunque se habla también en las islas de Pulo Anna, Merir, Helen Reef y en menor grado en las islas principales de Palaos. Pertenece a la familia de lenguas austronesias en el grupo de lenguas malayo-polinesias. Es hablado actualmente por 600 personas aproximadamente.

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[fr] Sonsorolais

Le sonsorolais (autonyme : dongosaro ou ramari dongosaro) est une langue micronésienne parlée sur l'île de Sonsorol, sur celle de Pulo Anna et des îles Merir, aux Palaos ainsi qu'aux îles Mariannes du Nord. Elle est parlée dans l'ensemble de l'État de Sonsorol par environ 60 personnes (aux Palaos), sans doute davantage avec les Sonsorolais émigrés. Cette langue ressemble beaucoup à une autre langue des Palaos, le tobi bien qu'elle en soit distincte. Elle est proche du woleai parlé à Chuuk.

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[ru] Сонсорольский язык

Сонсоро́л — язык, распространенный на Юго-Западных островах (Палау) и на Северных Марианских островах. В языке сонсорол два основных диалекта: Сонсорол и Пуло-Анна. Кроме того, языку сонсорол очень близко родственен тобийский, и некоторые лингвисты считают его диалектом сонсорола. Несмотря на то, что на сонсороле говорят больше людей, чем на тобийском, тобийская грамматика описана лучше. На сайте штата Сонсорол есть раздел о местном языке[2].

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