Saluan, or Loinang after one of its dialects, is the main language of the eastern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi.

Saluan
Loinang
RegionSulawesi
Native speakers
(76,000 cited 1978)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3loe
Glottologsalu1253
ELPSaluan

Phonology

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Consonants[2]
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive/
Affricate
voiceless p t k ʔ
voiced b d ɡ
Fricative s h
Rhotic r
Lateral l
Approximant w j

In some dialects, the distinction between /l/, /r/ and /n/ is neutralized to /n/ in word-final position, as in putan 'rope' (putal in most dialects).[3]

Vowels[2]
Front Central Back
Close i u
Mid e (ə) o
Open a

The central vowel [ə] is restricted to certain dialects.

In final position, there is a phonemic distinction between long and short vowels, e.g. /ikuː/ 'tail' vs. /siku/ 'elbow'.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Saluan at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b Pamolango, Valantino (2012). Geografi Dialek Bahasa Saluan. Manado: Universitas Sam Ratulangi.
  3. ^ a b Mead, David and Edy Pasanda (2015). An Initial Appreciation of the Dialect Situation in Saluan and Batui (Eastern Sulawesi, Indonesia). SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2015-013. SIL International.