Batuley language


Batuley is a language spoken on the Aru Islands of eastern Indonesia. It is close to Mariri. Hughes estimates that around 80% of lexical items are shared. The language's name comes from the Gwatle island, which the Batuley consider their homeland.

Geographical distribution

Batuley is spoken in eastern Indonesia across seven villages that Daigle lists in his thesis. Some of them are Kabalsiang on Aduar Island, Kumul in the identically-named island, and Gwaria in the Island of Gwari.

Phonology

Vowels

Batuley has a simple five-vowel system with no vowel length distinction.
  • i
  • e
  • u
  • o
  • a
is an allophone of and . is an allophone of when it does not receive the primary stress. Furthermore, and may both be reduced to a schwa in fast speech in certain conditions.

Consonants

Daigle

Lexicon

Daigle
  • gwayor: water, fresh water
  • gwari: island
  • keiran: sister; branch
  • lef: big house
  • kai: wood, tree
  • ban: chest, breast
  • fol gwayer: breast milk
  • kaom: scorpion
  • gwarfagfag: small fresh-water turtle
  • kudomsai: cloud
  • ror: dance
  • fulan: month
  • sapato, safato: shoe
  • solar: diesel fuel
  • nol: zero
  • fikir: think
  • fuis: cat
  • guru: teacher
  • kartas: paper
  • kasar: crack, split
  • kofi: hat
  • tata: older sibling
  • tempo: year
  • buku: book