Sepik Iwam language
# Sepik Iwam language

Sepik Iwam, or Yawenian, is a language of Papua New Guinea. It is the lexical basis of the Hauna trade pidgin.

It is spoken in villages such as Iniok (4°17′28″S 142°00′36″E﻿ / ﻿4.291°S 142.01°E﻿ / -4.291; 142.01﻿ (Iniok)) in Tunap/Hunstein Rural LLG of East Sepik Province.

## Phonology

Consonants :

| | | Labial | Alveolar | Velar | Glottal |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | n | | |
| Plosive | voiceless | p | t | k | |
| Plosive | voiced | b | d | ɡ | |
| Fricative | Fricative | | s | | h |
| Liquid | Liquid | | r | | |
| Semivowel | Semivowel | w | j | | |

Vowels :

| | Front | Central | Back |
| - | - | - | - |
| Close | i | | u |
| Mid | e | ə | o |
| Open | | a | |

## Pronouns

Sepik Iwam $pronouns:^{:282}$

    singulardualplural 1st person kakərarkəram 2nd person kəkowkom 3rd person masculine si sow səm feminine sa

## Grammar

Sepik Iwam subject agreement suffixes are:

    singulardualplural masculine *-ən *-o *-əm feminine *-a

The structure of this subject agreement paradigm can be traced back to Proto-Sepik, although the morphemes themselves do not seem to be directly related to the reconstructed Proto-Sepik forms. (See also Sepik languages#Gender.)

