Fas
NativenameMomu
RegionSandaun Province, Papua New Guinea
Coordinates3.253331°S 141.425202°E
Speakers2,500
Date2000 census
Refe25
FamilycolorPapuan
Fam 1Fas
Iso 3fqs
Glottofass1245
GlottorefnameMomu-Fas

Fas ( Momu, Bembi) is the eponymous language of the small Fas language family of Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.

Fas was once mistakenly placed in the Kwomtari family, confusing their classification. Its only demonstrated relative is actually Baibai, with which it is 40% cognate. See Fas languages for details.

Locations

Ethnologue lists Fas-speaking villages as Fas (3.198947°S 141.479718°E; 3.335326°S 141.652462°E), Fugumui (3.253331°S 141.425202°E), Kilifas, Utai (3.390507°S 141.583997°E), and Wara Mayu villages of Walsa Rural LLG and Amanab Rural LLG of Sandaun Province.[1]

Baron (2007) lists Fas-speaking villages as Yo, Sumumini, Wara Mayu, Kilifas, Fugumui, Fas 2, Fas 3, Finamui, Fugeri, Aiamina, Tamina 1, Nebike, Tamina 2, Utai, Mumuru, Savamui, and Mori.[2]

Phonology

Consonants[3]
LabialAlveolarVelarGlottal
Plosiveptkʔ
Fricativefs
Nasalmn
Trillʙr
Approximantwj
  • /ʔ/ appears as [h] before /a/.
Vowels[3]
FrontCentralBack
Highiu
Mide(ə)o
Lowa
  • /ə/ may be an allophone of /i/.

References

  1. ^ e25
  2. ^ Baron, Wietze (October 2007). "The Kwomtari Phylum". Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  3. ^ Baron, Wietze (2007). Overview of Fas Phonology

Sources

  • Baron, Wietze (1983a). "Cases of counter-feeding in Fas". Language and Linguistics in Melanesia. 14: 138–149. OCLC 9188672
  • Blake, Fiona (2007). Spatial Reference in Momu (BA). The University of Sydney. hdl:2123/1919
  • Honeyman, Thomas Tout (2016). A grammar of Momu, a language of Papua New Guinea (PhD). Australian National University. doi:10.25911/5d70f1b69a565. hdl:1885/132961