| Lo-Toga | |
|---|---|
| Loh, Toga | |
| Native to | Vanuatu |
| Region | Torres Islands |
Native speakers | 580 (2012)[1] |
| Dialects | Lo, Toga |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | lht |
| Glottolog | loto1240 |
| ELP | Lo-Toga |
Lo-Toga is anOceanic language spoken by about 580 people on the islands ofLo andToga, in theTorres group of northernVanuatu.[2] The language has sometimes been calledLoh [sic] orToga, after either of its two dialects.
The language is named after the two islands where it is spoken:Lo andToga.
Its 580 speakers live mostly inLo andToga, the two main islands in the southern half of the Torres group. The same language is also spoken by the small populations of the two other islands ofLinua andTegua.
Lo-Toga is itself divided into two very close dialects,Lo (spoken on Lo island) andToga (spoken on Toga). The inhabitants of northern Vanuatu generally don't draw a distinction between dialects and languages.[3]
Conversely, Lo-Toga is a distinct language from the other language of the Torres group,Hiw.
The Lo dialect of Lo-Togaphonemically contrasts 16 consonants and 13 vowels.[4]
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Retroflex | Dorsal | Labialized velar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m⟨m⟩ | n⟨n⟩ | ŋ⟨n̄⟩ | ŋʷ⟨n̄w⟩ | ||
| Plosive | p⟨p⟩ | t⟨t⟩ | ʈ͡ʂ⟨d⟩ | k⟨k⟩ | kʷ⟨q⟩ | |
| Fricative | β⟨v⟩ | s⟨s⟩ | ɣ⟨g⟩ | h⟨h⟩ | ||
| Rhotic | r⟨r⟩ | |||||
| Lateral | l⟨l⟩ | |||||
| Glide | w⟨w⟩ |
The 13 vowel phonemes of the Lo dialect include 8monophthongs /i e ɛ a ə ɔ o ʉ/, and fivediphthongs /i͡e i͡ɛ i͡a o͡ə o͡ɔ/.[5][4]
| Monophthongs | Diphthongs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front | Central | Back | Front | Back | ||
| Close | i⟨i⟩ | ʉ⟨u⟩ | ||||
| Close-mid | e⟨ē⟩ | o⟨ō⟩ | i͡e⟨iē⟩ | |||
| Mid | ə⟨e⟩ | o͡ə⟨ōe⟩ | ||||
| Open-mid | ɛ⟨ë⟩ | ɔ⟨o⟩ | i͡ɛ⟨ië⟩ | o͡ɔ⟨ōo⟩ | ||
| Open | a⟨a⟩ | i͡a⟨ia⟩ | ||||
Stress may either fall on the penultimate or final syllable, reminiscent of the neighboringHiw language.
Lo-Toga presents various forms ofverb serialization.[6]
The system ofpersonal pronouns contrastsclusivity, and distinguishes threenumbers (singular,dual, plural).[7]
Together with its neighbourHiw, Lo-Toga has developed a rich system ofverbal number, whereby certain verbs change their root depending on the number of their main participant.[8] Lo-Toga has 18 such pairs of verbs.
Spatial reference in Lo-Toga is based on a system of geocentric (absolute) directionals, which is in part typical ofOceanic languages, and yet innovative.[9]