Bim or Bimin is one of the Ok languages of New Guinea. It is spoken in Sandaun and Western Provinces in the region between the Murray and Strickland Rivers. The language is related to Faiwol but there is also "much intermarriage and cultural exchange with Oksapmin".[2]
| Bimin | |
|---|---|
| Region | Papua New Guinea |
Native speakers | 2,300 (2003)[1] |
Trans–New Guinea
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | bhl |
| Glottolog | bimi1240 |
| ELP | Bimin |
 OK-Oksapmin Languages | |
Phonology
editConsonants
edit| Labial | Alveolar | Velar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | Voiceless | t | k | |
| Voiced | b | d | g | |
| Nasal | m | n | ŋ | |
| Lateral | l | |||
| Fricative | f | s | ||
- /k/ can be pronounced [kχ]~[χ]~[gχ]~[ɣ].[4]
- /g/ is [g] in syllable onsets and [ŋ] in syllable codas.[5]
- Intervocalic /b/ is "almost like" /w/ or [β].[4]
- /f/ is [w] syllable initially and intervocalically and [p] syllable finally.[4]
- /l/ is [l]~[ɾ] and never occurs word initially.[4]
Vowels
edit| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i | u | |
| Mid | e | o | |
| Low | a |
References
edit- ^ Bimin at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Steer, Martin (1 September 2005). "LANGUAGES OF THE UPPER SEPIK AND CENTRAL NEW GUINEA" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ a b Weber, Thomas; Whitney, Henry (March 1999). "Bimin Phonology Essentials". SIL. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Weber, Thomas (April 2003). "Bimin Organised Phonology Data". SIL. Draft. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ Weber, Thomas (1997). "Bimin grammar essentials". SIL. Draft. Retrieved 30 July 2024.