| Nyelâyu | |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | [jãlɑjʊ] |
| Native to | New Caledonia |
Native speakers | 2,000 (2009 census)[1] |
Austronesian
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | yly |
| Glottolog | nyal1254 Nyalayu/Belepbala1316 Balade |
| ELP | Belep |
 Nyâlayu is not endangered according to the classification system of theUNESCOAtlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Nyelâyu (Yâlayu), also known as Nyalâyu, is aKanak language of northernNew Caledonia, spoken by approximately 2,000 speakers. There are two dialects that are not mutually intelligible. Pooc (or Haat) is spoken in the Belep islands, which are located just north ofGrande Terre. Puma (or Paak or Ovac) is spoken in the northernmost regions of New Caledonia in the areas aroundPoum in the west andPouébo andBalade in the east.
Voiceless stops, nasals, and approximants exhibit a contrast of aspiration exhibited in the following examples.
Aspirated consonants are very subtly marked. Aspiration seems to be a prosodic trait that affects the overall realization of the syllable by lowering the register of the voice.[2]
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i (y)iː | uuː | |
| Mid | e (ø)eː | ooː | |
| Open | aaː |
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | ĩĩː | ũũː | |
| Mid | ẽẽː | õõː | |
| Open | ããː |
The vowels /y/ and /ø/ are in parentheses, because they are very rare and appear only in a few words.[2]
This article aboutSouthern Oceanic languages is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |
 | ThisNew Caledonia-related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |