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
20 core words in Kosraean
Water
kof
/kof/
Fire
e
/e/
Sun
fihl
/fihl/
Moon
malem
/malem/
Mother
nina
/nina/
Father
papa
/papa/
Eat
mongo
/moŋo/
Drink
nim
/nim/
Love
lungse
/luŋse/
Heart
insiac
/insiats/
Tree
sak
/sak/
House
lohm
/lohm/
Dog
kosro
/kosɾo/
Cat
katu
/katu/
Hand
poun
/poun/
Eye
mutahl
/mutahl/
Hello
lwen wo
/lwen wo/
Thank you
kulo
/kulo/
One
sefac
/sefats/
Good
wo
/wo/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Micronesian) languages
| Meaning | Kosraean | Pohnpeian | Gilbertese | Mussau-Emira | Toba Batak | Chamorro | Chuukese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kof /kof/ | pihl /pihl/ | ran /ɾan/ | eai /eai/ | aek /aek/ | hånom /haːnom/ | kkonik /kːonik/ |
| Fire | e /e/ | ahi /ahi/ | ai /ai/ | kapok /kapok/ | api /api/ | guafi /ɡʷafi/ | ekkei /ekːei/ |
| Sun | fihl /fihl/ | ketipin /ketipin/ | tai /tai/ | ariu /aɾiu/ | mata ni ari /mata ni ari/ | atdao /atdao/ | akkar /akːaɾ/ |
| Moon | malem /malem/ | maram /maram/ | namwakaina /namʷakaina/ | malam /malam/ | bulan /bulan/ | pulan /pulan/ | maram /maɾam/ |
| Mother | nina /nina/ | nohno /nohno/ | tinau /tinau/ | nia /nia/ | ina /ina/ | nana /nana/ | in /in/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | pahpa /paːpa/ | tamau /tamau/ | tama /tama/ | ama /ama/ | tata /tata/ | sam /sam/ |
| Eat | mongo /moŋo/ | mwenge /mʷeŋe/ | amwarake /amʷaɾake/ | anu /anu/ | mangan /maŋan/ | kånno' /kaːnnoʔ/ | mwóngó /mʷəŋːə/ |
| Drink | nim /nim/ | nim /nim/ | nima /nima/ | inum /inum/ | minum /minum/ | gimen /ɡimen/ | nimwomw /nimʷomʷ/ |
| Love | lungse /luŋse/ | limpoak /limpoːk/ | tangira /taŋiɾa/ | talimi /talimi/ | holong /holoŋ/ | guaiya /ɡʷajja/ | tóng /təŋ/ |
| Heart | insiac /insiats/ | mohngion /mohŋion/ | nano /nano/ | lalota /lalota/ | roha /roha/ | korason /koɾason/ | lólúwáán /lələwaːn/ |
| Tree | sak /sak/ | tuhke /tuhke/ | kai /kai/ | rikei /ɾikei/ | hau /hau/ | trongkon /tɾoŋkon/ | irá /iɾaː/ |
| House | lohm /lohm/ | ihmw /ihmʷ/ | auti /auti/ | ulemi /ulemi/ | jabu /dʒabu/ | guma' /ɡumaʔ/ | imw /imʷ/ |
| Dog | kosro /kosɾo/ | kihdi /kihdi/ | kamea /kamea/ | kovur /kovuɾ/ | biang /biaŋ/ | ga'lågu /ɡaʔlaːɡu/ | kkoluk /kːoluk/ |
| Cat | katu /katu/ | kaht /kaht/ | katu /katu/ | busi /busi/ | huting /hutiŋ/ | katu /katu/ | kkááset /kːaːset/ |
| Hand | poun /poun/ | peh /peh/ | bai /bai/ | lima /lima/ | tangan /taŋan/ | kånnai /kaːnnai/ | pói /pɔi/ |
| Eye | mutahl /mutahl/ | mese /mese/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | matå /mataː/ | maas /maːs/ |
| Hello | lwen wo /lwen wo/ | kaselehlie /kaselehlie/ | mauri /mauɾi/ | emua /emua/ | horas /horas/ | håfa adai /haːfa adai/ | ráán annim /raːn annim/ |
| Thank you | kulo /kulo/ | kalahngan /kalahŋan/ | ko rabwa /ko ɾabʷa/ | poasi /poasi/ | mauliate /mauliate/ | si yu'os ma'åse' /si juʔos maʔaːseʔ/ | kinisou /kinisou/ |
| One | sefac /sefats/ | ehu /ehu/ | teuana /teuana/ | esa /esa/ | sada /sada/ | unu /unu/ | éét /eːt/ |
| Good | wo /wo/ | mwahu /mʷahu/ | raoiroi /ɾaoiɾoi/ | rop /ɾop/ | denggan /deŋɡan/ | maolek /maolek/ | múrinnó /muːɾinːo/ |
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