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Uma (known natively as Pipikoro) is an Austronesian language spoken in Central and South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Phonology

Consonants

Notes:

• /h/ acts as a nasal in some respects and causes the nasalization of non-front vowels (e.g., 'ten'→/haᵐpuluʔ/ with nasal vowels).
• /l/ is realized as retroflex contiguous to non-front vowels.
• /ʔ/ is neutralized word-initially, and is the only consonant that can occur in the coda or word-finally.
• In the Lincio variety of Central Uma, /ⁿtʃ/ is pronounced /ns/.
• The semivowel is rare, found mainly in loan words.
• The affricate /tʃ/ is found only following /n/, i.e., in the prenasalized stop /ⁿtʃ/.

Orthographic notes:

• /β/ is 'w'
• /ɲ/ is 'ny'
• /ŋ/ is 'ng'
• /j/ is 'y'
• /dʒ/ is 'j'
• /tʃ/ is 'c'
• /ʔ/ is an apostrophe or simply 'ʔ'

Vowels

Pronouns

Notes:

• ABS refers to pronominals in the absolutive case, while ERG refers to the ergative and GEN to the genitive.
• 1P means 'first person,' 2P means 'second person,' and 3P means 'third person.'
• (SG) means 'singular' and (PL) means 'plural.' (PL.ex) means 'plural exclusive' and (PL.in) means 'plural inclusive.'
• means that ∅ is a proclitic.
• means that ∅ is an enclitic.
• In the Tobaku, Tolee', and Winatu dialects, the possessives and are and respectively.
• In the Tolee' and Winatu dialects, the absolutives and are and respectively. The free forms and are and respectively.

Numerals

The cardinal numbers from 1 to 10 are:

1. isaʔ
2. dua
3. tolu
4. opoʔ
5. lima
6. ono
7. pitu
8. walu
9. sio
10. hampuluʔ

Classification of Uma varieties

Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013) recognizes seven dialects of Uma.

• Bana
• Benggaulu (= Bingkolu)
• Kantewu (= Central Uma)
• Aria (= Southern Uma)
• Tobaku (= Ompa, Dompa, Western Uma)
• Tolee' (= Eastern Uma)
• Winatu (= Northern Uma)

Martens (2014) recognized six major dialects of Uma, noting that the Tori'untu dialect is nearly extinct due to the encroachment of the Kantewu dialect and non-Uma languages.

• Kantewu (= Central)
• Southern
• Tolee'
• Tobaku
• Winatu
• Tori'untu

Martens also identifies two dialects closely related to Uma spoken in the Pasangkayu Regency.

• Sarudu
• Benggaulu (= Bingkolu)

References

1. Uma at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. ^ Martens 1988a, p. 168
3. Martens, Michael P. (2014), Uma Dialect Word Lists, Sulawesi Language Alliance, pp. 1–2

Bibliography

• Martens, Michael (1988a). "Notes on Uma Verbs". In Steinhauer, H. (ed.). Papers in Western Austronesian Linguistics No. 4. Pacific Linguistics Series A – No. 79. Canberra: The Australian National University. pp. 167–237. doi:10.15144/PL-A79.167. hdl:1885/145108. ISBN 0-85883-3832.
• Martens, Martha A.; Martens, Michael P. (1988). "Some Notes on the Inelegant Glottal: A Problem in Uma Phonology". In Steinhauer, H. (ed.). Papers in Western Austronesian Linguistics No. 4. Pacific Linguistics Series A – No. 79. Canberra: The Australian National University. pp. 279–281. doi:10.15144/PL-A79.279. hdl:1885/145108. ISBN 0-85883-3832.

• Kaili–Pamona languages
• Languages of Sulawesi