Lehali language

Lehali (previously known as Teqel) is an Oceanic language spoken by about 200 people, on the west coast of Ureparapara Island in Vanuatu. It is distinct from Löyöp, the language spoken on the east coast of the same island.

The language is named after the village where it is spoken, natively referred to as Loli [lɔli].

Lehali phonemically contrasts 16 consonants and 10 vowels.

The 10 vowel phonemes are all short monophthongs /i ɪ ɛ æ ə a ɒ̝ ɔ ʊ u/:

The ⟨y⟩ /j/ phoneme originates in a former trill *r: e.g. /-jɔ/ < POc *rua 'two'. Lehali shares that particular sound change with its neighbors Löyöp, Volow, and Mwotlap.

The system of personal pronouns in Lehali contrasts clusivity, and distinguishes four numbers (singular, dual, trial, plural).

Most negative morphemes are discontinuous, wrapped around the predicate phrase: e.g. /tɛt nɛ … tæ/ (Negative realis ‘did/does not’), /tɛt … kʷɔ/ (Nondumitive ‘not yet’), /tɛt … vɪstæ/ (Negative potential ‘cannot’). Historically, this pattern reflects an instance of Jespersen's cycle.

Spatial reference in Lehali is based on a system of geocentric (absolute) directionals, which is in part typical of Oceanic languages, and yet innovative.