Lehali (previously known as ''Teqel'') is an
Oceanic language spoken by about 200 people, on the west coast of
Ureparapara
Ureparapara (also known as ''Parapara'' for short; once known as ''Bligh Island'') is the third largest island in the Banks group of northern Vanuatu, after Gaua and Vanua Lava.
The climate on the island is humid tropical. The average annual r ...
Island in
Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
.
[List of Banks islands languages](_blank)
It is distinct from
Löyöp, the language spoken on the east coast of the same island.
Name
The language is named after the village where it is spoken, natively referred to as ''Loli'' . The name ''Lehali'' does not have any etymological value, other than being a corruption of the native name.
Phonology
Lehali
phonemically contrasts 16
consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are and pronounced with the lips; and pronounced with the front of the tongue; and pronounced wit ...
s and 10
vowel
A vowel is a syllabic speech sound pronounced without any stricture in the vocal tract. Vowels are one of the two principal classes of speech sounds, the other being the consonant. Vowels vary in quality, in loudness and also in quantity (leng ...
s.
[ François (2021).]
Consonants
:
Vowels
The 10 vowel phonemes are all short
monophthongs :
:
Grammar
The system of
personal pronouns in Lehali contrasts
clusivity, and distinguishes four
numbers (singular,
dual
Dual or Duals may refer to:
Paired/two things
* Dual (mathematics), a notion of paired concepts that mirror one another
** Dual (category theory), a formalization of mathematical duality
*** see more cases in :Duality theories
* Dual (grammatical ...
,
trial
In law, a trial is a coming together of Party (law), parties to a :wikt:dispute, dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence (law), evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to Adjudication, adjudicate claims or d ...
, plural).
Spatial reference in Lehali is based on a system of geocentric (
absolute Absolute may refer to:
Companies
* Absolute Entertainment, a video game publisher
* Absolute Radio, (formerly Virgin Radio), independent national radio station in the UK
* Absolute Software Corporation, specializes in security and data risk manage ...
) directionals, which is in part typical of
Oceanic languages
The approximately 450 Oceanic languages are a branch of the Austronesian languages. The area occupied by speakers of these languages includes Polynesia, as well as much of Melanesia and Micronesia. Though covering a vast area, Oceanic languages ...
, and yet innovative.
References
Bibliography
* .
*
*
*
*
External links
Audio recordings in the Lehali language in open access, by
A. François ('' Pangloss Collection'').
Banks–Torres languages
Languages of Vanuatu
{{SOceanic-lang-stub