Moronene language

Moronene
Moronene
Native to	Indonesia
Region	Sulawesi
Native speakers	37,000 (2000)
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian (MP) Celebic Bungku–Tolaki Moronene; ; ; ;
Dialects	Wita Ea (Rumbia, Poleang); Tokotu’a (Kabaena);
Language codes
ISO 639-3	mqn
Glottolog	moro1287

Moronene is an Austronesian language spoken in Bombana Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. It belongs to the Bungku–Tolaki branch of the Celebic subgroup.

Phonology[edit]

Moronene has the following consonant inventory:^[2]

Consonants
			Labial	Alveolar	Retroflex	Velar	Glottal
Nasal			m	n		ŋ
Plosive	voiceless	plain	p	t		k	ʔ
	voiceless	prenasalized	ᵐp	ⁿt		ᵑk
	voiced	plain	b	d		g
	voiced	prenasalized	ᵐb	ⁿd		ᵑg
Fricative			β	s			h
Flap				r	ɽ

The vowel phonemes are /a e i o u/. Sequences of two like vowels are pronounced as a long vowel, e.g. nee [ne:].^[2]

Grammar[edit]

Word order[edit]

Moronene has flexible word order. However, there is a high frequency of clause-initial verbs in "connected narrative discourse." Noun phrases are not marked for case.^[3] The language has prepositions.

Pronouns[edit]

There are two forms of pronouns, free pronouns and absolutive clitics.^[2] There are singular and plural forms, there are no dual, trial or paucal forms. There is an inclusive/exclusive distinction in the first person plural forms. There is no gender, and there appears to be no present-day politeness distinction.

Moronene Free Pronouns and Absolutive Clitics^[2]
Person	Free	Absolutive
1SG	[i'?aku] ['?aku]	['aku] ~ [’?aku] ~ ['haku]
2SG	[i'tʃoʔo] ['tʃoʔo]	[ko]
3SG	[i'a:]	[o]~[?o]~[ho]
1PL (Inclusive)	[i'tʃita] ['tʃita]	['kita]
1PL (Exclusive)	[i'tʃami] ['tʃami]	['kami]
2PL	[itʃo'miu] [tʃo'miu]	[ko'miu]
3PL	[i'ʔiɾa] ['ʔiɾa]	['ʔiɾa]~['hiɾa]

Genitive pronouns[edit]

There are two classes of genitive pronouns in Moronene which must be learned by speakers, which is unique among Bungku–Tolaki languages.^[4] There are singular and plural forms; there are no dual, trial or paucal forms. There is an inclusive/exclusive distinction in the first person plural forms. Example (1) demonstrates the class 1 first person genitive pronoun in use with the noun 'hair'.^[4]

(1)

wulu-ngku

hair-1SG.GEN

'My hair'

Moronene Genitive Pronouns^[4]
Person	Class 1	Class 2
1SG	-ngku	-ku
2SG	-u,	-'u
3SG	-no	-no
1PL (EX.)	-mami	-mami
1PL (IN)	-nto,	-to
2PL	-miu	-miu
3PL	-ndo,	-do

Number[edit]

Moronene has a decimal numeral system.^[5]

References[edit]

^ Moronene at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Andersen, T. David (1999), "Moronene phonology" (PDF), in Wyn D. Laidig (ed.), Studies in Sulawesi linguistics, part VI, Jakarta: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya, pp. 1–45.
^ Andersen, Suree. 1999. When the Moronene say no. In David Mead (ed.), Studies in Sulawesi linguistics part V, 73-112. Jakarta, Indonesia: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya.
^ ^a ^b ^c Mead, David. 1998. Proto–Bungku-Tolaki: Reconstruction of its phonology and aspects of its morphosyntax. PhD dissertation. Houston: Rice University.
^ Andersen, T. David. 1999. Moronene numbers. In David Mead (ed.), Studies in Sulawesi linguistics part V, 1-72. Jakarta, Indonesia: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya.

Further reading[edit]

Mead, David. 1998. Proto–Bungku-Tolaki: Reconstruction of its phonology and aspects of its morphosyntax. PhD dissertation. Houston: Rice University.
Mead, David. 1999. The Bungku–Tolaki languages of south-eastern Sulawesi, Indonesia. Series D-91. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
Andersen, T. David. 1999. Moronene numbers. In David Mead (ed.), Studies in Sulawesi linguistics part V, 1-72. Jakarta, Indonesia: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya.
Andersen, T. David. 2006. Topicality and functional voice in Hebrew and Moronene, with application to translation. (Doctoral dissertation, Fuller Theological Seminary; 346pp.)
Andersen, Suree. 1999. When the Moronene say no. In David Mead (ed.), Studies in Sulawesi linguistics part V, 73-112. Jakarta, Indonesia: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya.
Muthalib, Abdul and Johannes F. Pattiasina and Adnan Usmar and Rambe, {}. 1983. Struktur bahasa Moronene. Ujung Pandang: PPBSIDSS. vii+136pp.

[e18-1] Moronene at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[Andersen-2] Andersen, T. David (1999), "Moronene phonology" (PDF), in Wyn D. Laidig (ed.), Studies in Sulawesi linguistics, part VI, Jakarta: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya, pp. 1–45.

[:0-3] Andersen, Suree. 1999. When the Moronene say no. In David Mead (ed.), Studies in Sulawesi linguistics part V, 73-112. Jakarta, Indonesia: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya.

[:1-4] Mead, David. 1998. Proto–Bungku-Tolaki: Reconstruction of its phonology and aspects of its morphosyntax. PhD dissertation. Houston: Rice University.

[5] Andersen, T. David. 1999. Moronene numbers. In David Mead (ed.), Studies in Sulawesi linguistics part V, 1-72. Jakarta, Indonesia: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya.

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