Kahnka Kosrae
Kosraean
Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Micronesian)
Kosraean (Kahnka Kosrae, sometimes Kusaiean) is a Micronesian Oceanic language spoken on the small Pacific island of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia. It is the most divergent surviving Micronesian language, separated from Pohnpeian (pon) and the Marshallese-Gilbertese cluster by deep phonological and lexical innovations. Has a complex consonant system with rare voiceless sonorants and a productive set of CV-reduplication patterns. Despite its small speaker base, it remains the L1 of nearly all Kosrae residents.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Kosraean
Water
kof
/kof/
Fire
e
/e/
Sun
faht
/fæt/
Moon
malem
/malem/
Star
itu
/itu/
Mother
nina
/nina/
Father
papa
/papa/
I
nga
/ŋa/
You
kom
/kom/
Name
ine
/ine/
Eye
mutahl
/mutæl/
Hand
poun
/poun/
Heart
insiac
/insiɛ/
Love
lungse
/luŋse/
Tree
sak
/sak/
House
lohm
/lohm/
Dog
kosro
/kosɾo/
Cat
katu
/katu/
Eat
mongo
/moŋo/
Drink
nim
/nim/
One
sefac
/sefats/
Two
luo
/luo/
Hello
lwen wo
/lwen wo/
Thank you
kulo
/kulo/
Good
wo
/wo/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Micronesian) languages
| Meaning | Kosraean | Gilbertese | Pohnpeian | Mussau-Emira | Chuukese | Toba Batak | Simalungun Batak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kof /kof/ | ran /ɾan/ | pihl /pihl/ | eai /eai/ | kkonik /kːonik/ | aek /aek/ | bah /bah/ |
| Fire | e /e/ | ai /ai/ | ahi /ahi/ | kuraa /kuˈraː/ | ekkei /ekːei/ | api /api/ | apuy /apuj/ |
| Sun | faht /fæt/ | taai /taːi/ | ketipin /ketipin/ | ariu /aɾiu/ | akkar /akːaɾ/ | mata ni ari /mata ni ari/ | mata ni ari /mata ni ari/ |
| Moon | malem /malem/ | namwakaina /namʷakaina/ | maram /maram/ | malam /malam/ | maram /maɾam/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Star | itu /itu/ | itoi /iˈtoi/ | usu /usu/ | katoto /katoto/ | fúú /fɨː/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ |
| Mother | nina /nina/ | tinau /tinau/ | nohno /nohno/ | nia /nia/ | in /in/ | ina /ina/ | inang /inaŋ/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | tamau /tamau/ | pahpa /paːpa/ | tama /tama/ | sam /sam/ | ama /ama/ | bapa /bapa/ |
| I | nga /ŋa/ | ngai /ŋai/ | ngehi /ŋɛhi/ | agi /aɡi/ | ngang /ŋaŋ/ | au /au/ | ahu /ahu/ |
| You | kom /kom/ | ngkoe /ŋkoe/ | kowe /kowe/ | io /io/ | en /en/ | ho /ho/ | ho /ho/ |
| Name | ine /ine/ | ara /ˈara/ | ede /ɛdɛ/ | arari /arari/ | it /iːt/ | goar /goar/ | goran /goran/ |
| Eye | mutahl /mutæl/ | mata /mata/ | pwoarenmas /pʷɔrɛnmas/ | mata /mata/ | maas /maːs/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | poun /poun/ | bai /bai/ | peh /peh/ | lima /lima/ | paaw /paːw/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ |
| Heart | insiac /insiɛ/ | nano /nano/ | mohngiong /moːŋioŋ/ | lalota /lalota/ | letip /letip/ | roha /roha/ | uhur /uhur/ |
| Love | lungse /luŋse/ | tangira /taŋiɾa/ | limpoak /limpoːk/ | talimi /talimi/ | tóng /təŋ/ | holong /holoŋ/ | holong /holoŋ/ |
| Tree | sak /sak/ | kai /kai/ | tuhke /tuhke/ | rikei /ɾikei/ | irá /iɾaː/ | hau /hau/ | hayu /haju/ |
| House | lohm /lohm/ | auti /auti/ | ihmw /ihmʷ/ | ulemi /ulemi/ | imw /imʷ/ | jabu /dʒabu/ | rumah /rumah/ |
| Dog | kosro /kosɾo/ | kamea /kamea/ | kihdi /kihdi/ | kovur /kovuɾ/ | kkoluk /kːoluk/ | biang /biaŋ/ | baliang /baliaŋ/ |
| Cat | katu /katu/ | katu /katu/ | kaht /kaht/ | busi /busi/ | kkááset /kːaːset/ | huting /hutiŋ/ | huting /hutiŋ/ |
| Eat | mongo /moŋo/ | amwarake /amʷaɾake/ | mwenge /mʷeŋe/ | anu /anu/ | mwóngó /mʷəŋːə/ | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ |
| Drink | nim /nim/ | nima /nima/ | nim /nim/ | inum /inum/ | nimwomw /nimʷomʷ/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ |
| One | sefac /sefats/ | teuana /teuana/ | ehu /ehu/ | esa /esa/ | éét /eːt/ | sada /sada/ | sada /sada/ |
| Two | luo /luo/ | uoua /uˈoua/ | riau /riːau/ | lua /lua/ | ruu /ruːw/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ |
| Hello | lwen wo /lwen wo/ | mauri /mauɾi/ | kaselehlie /kaselehlie/ | emua /emua/ | ráán annim /raːn annim/ | horas /horas/ | horas /horas/ |
| Thank you | kulo /kulo/ | ko rabwa /ko ɾabʷa/ | kalahngan /kalahŋan/ | poasi /poasi/ | kinisou /kinisou/ | mauliate /mauliate/ | diatebei /diatebei/ |
| Good | wo /wo/ | raoiroi /ɾaoiɾoi/ | mwahu /mʷahu/ | rop /ɾop/ | múrinnó /muːɾinːo/ | denggan /deŋɡan/ | dear /dear/ |
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