Nomatsiguenga language
# Nomatsiguenga language

Nomatsiguenga (Matsigenka) is an Arawakan language of Peru. It is close enough to Machiguenga to sometimes be considered dialects of a single language, especially given that both are spoken by the Machiguenga people. Most speakers are monolingual.

## Phonology

According to Lawrence, Nomatsiguenga has the following consonant and vowel phonemes.

Nomatsiguenga consonants :

| | Bilabial | Dental | Alveopalatal | Velar | Glottal | Unspecified |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Nasal | m | n | | ŋ (ng, n) | | N (n, m) |
| Stop | p b | t | | k g | | |
| Fricative | | s | ʃ (sh) | | h | |
| Affricate | | ts | tʃ (ch) | | | |
| Liquid | | | ɾ (r) | | | |
| Semivowel | | | j (y) | | | |

Nomatsiguenga vowels :

| | Front | Central | Back |
| - | - | - | - |
| High | i, iː (ii) | ɨi (ë) | |
| Mid | e, eː (ee) | | o, oː (oo) |
| Low | | a, aː (aa) | |

## Grammar

Nomatsiguenga is one of the few languages in the world that has two different causative mechanisms to denote whether the causer was involved in the activity with the causee or not. The prefix ogi- is used to express the idea that the causer was not involved in the activity, while the suffix -hag is used when the causer is involved.

y-ogi-monti-ë-ri

$3SG+M-CAUS_1-cross.river-NFUT-3SG+M$

i-tomi

3SG+M-son

y-ogi-monti-ë-ri i-tomi

$3SG+M-CAUS_1-cross.river-NFUT-3SG+M$ 3SG+M-son

"He made his son cross the river (he told him to)."

y-monti-a-hag-ë-ri

$3SG+M-cross.river-E-CAUS_2-NFUT-3SG+M$

i-tomi

3SG+M-son

y-monti-a-hag-ë-ri i-tomi

$3SG+M-cross.river-E-CAUS_2-NFUT-3SG+M$ 3SG+M-son

"He made his son cross the river (he helped him across)."

