Obokuitai language

Obokuitai (Obogwitai) is a Lakes Plain language of Papua, Indonesia. It is named after Obogoi village in East Central Mamberamo District, Mamberamo Raya Regency.

Obokuitai, Sikaritai, and Eritai constitute a dialect cluster.

The following discussion is based on Jenison & Jenison (1991).

Unusual phonological features of Obokuitai and other Lakes Plain languages are the complete lack of nasals, even allophones, and a series of extra high or fricativized vowels that developed from loss of a following stop consonant. Obokuitai has one of the smallest phonemic inventories in the world, equal to the Pirahã and Rotokas languages at 11 phonemes.

The small consonant inventory is typical of Lakes Plain languages.

Obokuitai does have some more sounds as allophones. The voiced velar stop, [g], occurs syllable initial following a syllable final /k/. For example, /dikka/ -> [digga], 'husband of wife's sister'.

The voiced alveolar tap or flap, [ɾ], occurs between vowels in the syllable initial position and also as the second member of a consonant cluster in the syllable initial position. For example, /bɛda/ -> [bɛɾa], 'kind of sweet potato'.

Obokuitai has five vowels.