title: Woisika language
text: # Woisika language
  
  Woisika, also known as Kamang, is a Papuan language of Alor Island of Indonesia. The three main dialects are Western Kamang, Lowland Kamang, and Upland Kamang. Dialects also include Lembur, Sibo, Kamang, Tiayai, Watang, Kamana-Kamang. They may constitute more than one language. Kamang is an endangered language, since children usually only have passive competence of the language, and instead are shifting to Malay.
  
  Speakers may prefer the term Kamang to refer to the speech community as a whole; Woisika is a village name.
  
  ## Phonology
  
  ### Consonants
  
  /h/ and /ʔ/ are marginal. /r/ is rare in initial and final position. Word-final /s/ is only in loan words.
  
  The consonant /ŋ/ is not found word-initially, and /f/ is not found word-finally.
  
  ### Vowels
  
  Woisika vowel phonemes :
  
  | | Front | Front | Central | Central | Back | Back |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Close | i | iː ⟨ii⟩ | | | u | uː ⟨uu⟩ |
  | Mid | e | eː ⟨ee⟩ | | | o | oː ⟨oo⟩ |
  | Open | | | a | aː ⟨aa⟩ | | |
  
  ## Grammar
  
  ### Serial verb constructions
  
  Kamang has serial verb constructions.
  
  Mooi
  
  banana
  
  bong
  
  tree
  
  nok
  
  one
  
  kok
  
  fall.down
  
  silang
  
  descend
  
  dii
  
  lie
  
  Mooi bong nok kok silang dii
  
  banana tree one fall.down descend lie
  
  'A banana tree came falling $down.'^{:345}$
  
  Afunaa
  
  a-funaa
  
  3.PAT-face
  
  yakii
  
  ga-kii
  
  3.PAT-turn
  
  me
  
  me
  
  come
  
  noowaai.
  
  noo-waai.
  
  3.AST-face
  
  Afunaa yakii me noowaai.
  
  a-funaa ga-kii me noo-waai.
  
  3.PAT-face 3.PAT-turn come 3.AST-face
  
  'Turn and face $me.'^{:348}$ Unknown glossing abbreviation(s) (help);
  
  ### Valence
  
  Examples with avalent, monovalent, bivalent, and trivalent verbs are shown below.
  
  Avalent
  
  Itunma
  
  itun-ma
  
  late.afternoon-PFV
  
  Itunma
  
  itun-ma
  
  late.afternoon-PFV
  
  'It's late $afternoon.'^{:300}$
  
  Monovalent
  
  Markus
  
  Markus
  
  Markus
  
  gamanteima
  
  ga-mantei-ma
  
  3.PAT-thirst-PFV
  
  Markus gamanteima
  
  Markus ga-mantei-ma
  
  Markus 3.PAT-thirst-PFV
  
  'Markus is thirsty $already.'^{:301}$
  
  Bivalent
  
  Na
  
  na
  
  1SG.AGT
  
  Markus
  
  Markus
  
  Markus
  
  gatakma.
  
  ga-tak-ma
  
  3.PAT-see-PFV
  
  Na Markus gatakma.
  
  na Markus ga-tak-ma
  
  1SG.AGT Markus 3.PAT-see-PFV
  
  'I have seen $Markus'^{:301}$
  
  Trivalent
  
  Markus
  
  Markus
  
  Markus
  
  patei
  
  patei
  
  corn
  
  me
  
  me
  
  TAKE
  
  dumma
  
  dum=a
  
  child=SPEC
  
  wotulen.
  
  go-tulen
  
  3.LOC-divide
  
  Markus patei me dumma wotulen.
  
  Markus patei me dum=a go-tulen
  
  Markus corn TAKE child=SPEC 3.LOC-divide
  
  'Markus divides corn amongst the $children.'^{:301}$ Unknown glossing abbreviation(s) (help);
  
  ## Riddles
  
  Woisika riddles relate to animals, the human body, human artifacts, natural phenomena, crops and other foods, among others.
  
  