Suarmin language
Suarmin, or Asaba, is a Sepik language spoken in Sandaun Province, Papua-New Guinea. Alternative names are Asabano, Akiapmin, Duranmin.
| Suarmin | |
|---|---|
| Asaba | |
| Native to | Papua New Guinea |
| Region | Sandaun Province |
Native speakers | 140 (2000)[1] |
Sepik
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | seo |
| Glottolog | suar1238 |
| ELP | Asaba |
 Suarmin is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Glottolog leaves it unclassified.
Noun classes
In Asaba, noun class affixes are suffixed to nouns. There are five noun classes. Examples:[2]
class singular (ex.) plural (ex.) gloss (ex.) class 1 nu-bu nu-le house(s) class 2 mena-du mena-no pig(s) class 3 kabia-si kabia-le stone(s) class 4 moko-ni moko-le fork(s) class 5 nomo-so nomo-l stone adze(s)
Class 1 is the default noun class.
Modifying adjectives agree with head nouns in class:[2]
na-bu
tree-I.SG
kamaya-bu
big-I.SG
‘tall tree’
kaiyebe-du
cassowary-II.SG
kamaya-du
big-II.SG
‘big cassowary’
References
- Suarmin at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- Foley, William A. (2018). "The Languages of the Sepik-Ramu Basin and Environs". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 197–432. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
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