Mussau
Mussau-Emira
Austronesian
Mussau-Emira is an Oceanic Austronesian language of the Mussau-Emira subgroup, spoken on the St Matthias Group islands north of New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea. The St Matthias Group consists of Mussau (the larger island, ~5,000 inhabitants) and Emira (smaller, ~500 inhabitants), plus some smaller atolls. Linguistically, Mussau-Emira is interesting for its highly conservative phonology — it preserves Proto-Oceanic features lost in most Western Oceanic languages, including a 5-vowel system with no length distinction, simple consonant inventory, and SVO constituent order with classical Oceanic person-marking on verbs. SIL Bible translation work since the 1970s produced the New Testament (1995) and standardized Mussau orthography.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Mussau-Emira
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Austronesian
| Meaning | Mussau-Emira | Hiri Motu | Fijian | Cia-Cia | Samoan | Tuvaluan | Toba Batak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | manu /manu/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | wai /wai/ | eʼe /eʔe/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | aek /aek/ |
| Fire | kuraa /kuˈraː/ | lahi /lahi/ | buka /mbuka/ | api /api/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | sinaka /sinaka/ | dina /dina/ | matanisiga /matanisiŋa/ | holeo /holeo/ | lā /laː/ | laa /laː/ | mata ni ari /mata ni ari/ |
| Moon | ulana /ulana/ | hua /hua/ | vula /βula/ | vula /βula/ | māsina /maːsina/ | masina /masina/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Star | katoto /katoto/ | hisiu /hisiu/ | kalokalo /kalokalo/ | kalipopo /kalipopo/ | fetū /fetuː/ | fetū /fetuː/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ |
| Night | voo /voː/ | hanuaboi /hanuaboi/ | bogi /mboŋi/ | morondo /morondo/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | borngin /borŋin/ |
| Rain | vaoo /vaoo/ | medu /medu/ | uca /uða/ | kia /kia/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | udan /uˈdan/ |
| Wind | kuukuu /kuukuu/ | lai /lai/ | cagi /ðaŋi/ | ngoi /ŋoi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ | alogo /aloɡo/ |
| Earth | kosa /kosa/ | tano /tano/ | qele /ᵑɡele/ | vuta /βuta/ | ʻeleʻele /ʔeleʔele/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | tano /tano/ |
| Stone | atu /atu/ | nadi /ˈnadi/ | vatu /vatu/ | loko /loko/ | maʻa /maʔa/ | fatu /fatu/ | batu /batu/ |
| Mountain | motouru /motouru/ | ororo /ororo/ | ulunivanua /uluniβanua/ | gunu /ɡunu/ | mauga /mauŋa/ | mauga /mauŋa/ | dolok /dolok/ |
| Sea | paamanu /paamanu/ | davara /davara/ | wasawasa /wasawasa/ | tai /tai/ | sami /sami/ | tai /tai/ | laut /laut/ |
| Mother | kina /kina/ | sina /sina/ | tina /tina/ | ina /ina/ | tinā /tinaː/ | maatua /maːtua/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | tama /tama/ | tama /tama/ | tama /tama/ | ama /ama/ | tamā /tamaː/ | tamana /tamana/ | ama /ama/ |
| Daughter | natuna vause /natuna vause/ | natuna kekeni /natuna kekeni/ | luve yalewa /luβe jalewa/ | — | afafine /afafine/ | tama fafine /tama fafine/ | boru /boru/ |
| I | aghi /aɣi/ | lau /lau/ | au /au/ | indaʼu /indaʔu/ | aʻu /aʔu/ | au /au/ | ahu /ahu/ |
| You | io /io/ | oi /oi/ | iko /iko/ | isoʼo /isoʔo/ | ʻoe /ʔoe/ | koe /koe/ | ho /ho/ |
| We | ita / ami /ita / ami/ | ita / ai /ita / ai/ | keda / keimami /kenda / kejmami/ | ingkita / isami /iŋkita / isami/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | hita / hami /hita / hami/ |
| Name | arari /arari/ | ladana /laˈdana/ | yaca /jaða/ | ngea /ŋea/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | goar /ɡoar/ |
| Person | taumata /taumata/ | taunimanima /taunimanima/ | tamata /tamata/ | mia /mia/ | tagata /taŋata/ | tino /tino/ | halak /halak/ |
| Head | uru /uru/ | kwarana /kʷarana/ | ulu /ulu/ | pocu /potʃu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | matana /matana/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Ear | talinga /taliŋa/ | taiana /taiana/ | daliga /ndaliŋa/ | tolinga /toliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ | pinggol /piŋɡol/ |
| Nose | ngusu /ŋusu/ | udubaubauna /udubaubauna/ | ucu /uðu/ | ngoʼo /ŋoʔo/ | isu /isu/ | isu /isu/ | igung /iɡuŋ/ |
| Mouth | paa /paa/ | uduna /uduna/ | gusu /ŋusu/ | — | gutu /ŋutu/ | gutu /ŋutu/ | baba /baba/ |
| Tooth | ngalungalu /ŋaluŋalu/ | isena /isena/ | bati /mbati/ | ngiʼi /ŋiʔi/ | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ | ngingi /ŋiŋi/ |
| Tongue | ramuramutipa /ramuramutipa/ | mala /mala/ | yame /jame/ | ela /ela/ | laulaufaiva /laulaufaiva/ | alelo /alelo/ | dila /dila/ |
| Hand | nima /nima/ | ima /ima/ | liga /liŋa/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | tangan /taŋan/ |
| Foot | keke /keke/ | ae /ae/ | yava /java/ | kake /kake/ | vae /vae/ | vae /vae/ | pat /pat/ |
| Heart | urunguita /uruŋuita/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | uto /uto/ | lalo /lalo/ | loto /loto/ | fatu /fatu/ | roha /roha/ |
| Bone | riu /riu/ | turia /turia/ | sui /sui/ | buku /buku/ | ivi /ivi/ | ivi /ivi/ | holi-holi /holiˈholi/ |
| Blood | rae /rae/ | rara /rara/ | dra /ndra/ | rea /rea/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | mudar /mudar/ |
| Love | aielousi /aielousi/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | loloma /loloma/ | peʼelu /peʔelu/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | holong /holoŋ/ |
| Tree | ai /ai/ | au /au/ | kau /kau/ | sau /sau/ | laʻau /laʔau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | hau /hau/ |
| Dog | paua /paua/ | sisia /sisia/ | koli /koli/ | au /au/ | maile /maile/ | kuli /kuli/ | biang /biaŋ/ |
| Cat | busi /busi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | mbuta /mbuta/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | huting /hutiŋ/ |
| Fish | kko /kːo/ | gwarume /ɡʷaɾume/ | ika /ika/ | isa /isa/ | iʻa /iʔa/ | ika /ika/ | dekke /ˈdekːe/ |
| Bird | ghila /ɣila/ | manu /manu/ | manumanu /manumanu/ | manumanu /manumanu/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | pidong /pidoŋ/ |
| Butterfly | kaubebe /kaubebe/ | kaubebe /kaubebe/ | bēbē /ᵐbeːᵐbeː/ | kalelema /kalelema/ | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ | lampu-lampu /lampuˈlampu/ |
| Egg | otolu /otolu/ | gatoi /ɡatoi/ | yaloka /jaloka/ | cikolu /tʃikolu/ | fuamoa /fuamoa/ | fuamoa /fuamoa/ | pira /pira/ |
| Bear | beaa /beaː/ | bea /bea/ | bea /mbea/ | — | pea /pea/ | pea /pea/ | gompul /ɡompul/ |
| Horse | ooso /ooso/ | hosi /hosi/ | ose /ose/ | ajara /adʒara/ | solofanua /solofanua/ | solofanua /solofanua/ | hoda /hoda/ |
| House | ale /ale/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | vale /βale/ | kaʼana /kaʔana/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | jabu /dʒabu/ |
| Milk | rarumi ssu /ɾarumi sːu/ | rata /rata/ | sucu /suðu/ | — | susu /susu/ | susu /susu/ | susu /susu/ |
| Honey | iruena /iɾuena/ | — | oni /oni/ | — | meli /meli/ | hani /hani/ | situak ni loba /situak ni loba/ |
| Salt | uela /uela/ | damena /damena/ | masima /masima/ | gara /ɡara/ | masima /masima/ | masima /masima/ | sira /sira/ |
| Wine | uaeni /uaeni/ | uaina /uaina/ | waini /waini/ | — | uaina /uaina/ | uaina /uaina/ | anggur /aŋɡur/ |
| Iron | aeana /aeana/ | auri /ˈauɾi/ | kaukamea /kaukamea/ | ase /ase/ | uʻamea /uʔamea/ | fiti /fiti/ | bosi /bosi/ |
| Book | vuku /vuku/ | buka /ˈbuka/ | ivola /ivola/ | boku /boku/ | tusi /tusi/ | tusi /tusi/ | buku /buku/ |
| Eat | nama /nama/ | ania /ania/ | kana /kana/ | maʼa /maʔa/ | ʻai /ʔai/ | kai /kai/ | mangan /maŋan/ |
| Drink | ropi /ropi/ | inua /inua/ | gunu /ŋunu/ | poroku /poroku/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | minum /minum/ |
| Sleep | asekanue /asekanue/ | mahuta /maˈhuta/ | moce /moðe/ | monoko /monoko/ | moe /moe/ | moe /moe/ | modom /modom/ |
| One | sesa /sesa/ | ta /ta/ | dua /ndua/ | ise /ise/ | tasi /tasi/ | tasi /tasi/ | sada /sada/ |
| Two | lua /lua/ | rua /rua/ | rua /rua/ | rua /rua/ | lua /lua/ | lua /lua/ | dua /dua/ |
| Three | kotolu /kotolu/ | toi /toi/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ |
| Four | ghaata /ɣaata/ | hani /hani/ | vā /vaː/ | paʼa /paʔa/ | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ | opat /opat/ |
| Five | lima /lima/ | ima /ima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Hundred | kateva ai /kateva ai/ | handred /handred/ | drau /ndrau/ | hacu /hatʃu/ | selau /selau/ | selau /selau/ | saratus /saratus/ |
| Hello | elue talaua /elue talaua/ | namona /namona/ | bula /mbula/ | assalamuʼalaikum /assaˈlamu ʔaˈlajkum/ | talofa /talofa/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | horas /horas/ |
| Thank you | kaili emasina /kaili emasina/ | tanikiu /tanikiu/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | tarima kasi /tarima kasi/ | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | mauliate /mauliate/ |
| Good | masina /masina/ | namo /namo/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | umela /umela/ | lelei /lelei/ | lei /lei/ | denggan /deŋɡan/ |
| New | ouna /ouna/ | matamata /matamata/ | vou /βou/ | vukou /βukou/ | fou /fou/ | fou /fou/ | imbaru /imbaru/ |
| Red | raeraeana /raeraeana/ | kakakaka /kakakaka/ | damudamu /ndamundamu/ | modhea /moɗea/ | mūmū /muːmuː/ | kula /kula/ | rara /rara/ |
| White | usousoana /usousoana/ | kurokuro /kurokuro/ | vulavula /βulaβula/ | mopute /mopute/ | paʻepaʻe /paʔepaʔe/ | kena /kena/ | bontar /bontar/ |
| Black | voovongiena /voovoŋiena/ | korema /korema/ | loaloa /loaloa/ | mokito /mokito/ | uliuli /uliuli/ | uli /uli/ | birong /biroŋ/ |
| Ninety-nine | ghasiongaulu ghasio /ɣasioŋaulu ɣasio/ | — | ciwasagavulu ka ciwa /ðiwasaŋavulu ka ðiwa/ | — | ivasefulu ma le iva /ivasefulu ma le iva/ | iva sefulu iva /iva sefulu iva/ | siapulu sia /siapulu sia/ |
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