Mairasi language


Mairasi is a Papuan language of the Bomberai Peninsula of West Papua, Indonesia.
The Northeastern dialect may be a distinct language.

Distribution

Locations:
  • Kaimana Regency
  • *Interior villages: Umbran, Jamna Fata, Matna, Tarwata, Sara, Kasira, Orai, Wangatnau, Faranyau, and Sarifan
  • *Coastal villages: Sisir, Foroma Jaya, Warasi, Lobo, Lomira, Morona, Nanggwaromi, Omay, and Warika
  • Teluk Wondama Regency
  • *Naikere District villages: Sararti, Oya, Yabore, Wosimo, Undurara, and Inyora

    Phonology

Pronouns

Mairasi possessor prefixes are:

Morphology

Case markers

Noun phrase case markers in Mairasi:
  • instrumental suffix -t
  • locative postposition ar
  • allative postposition ev
Some examples:

Possessors

Mairasi possessor prefixes:
Examples of inalienable possessors:

Directionals

Mairasi has two directional suffixes, which are only used with movement verbs.
  • -aʔi ‘up, inland’
  • -ari ‘down, seaward’
Examples of directional suffixes in use:

Animacy

is marked by the adjective modifier n-, as exemplified by the contrast in the following two noun phrases.
Vowel changes can modify the number of animate nouns: