Baluan-Pam language

Speakers on Baluan Island prefer to refer to their language with its native name Paluai.

[2] There is a minority of Titan speakers on Baluan, relatively recent immigrants living in Mouk village.

In addition, the creole language Tok Pisin is widely spoken on the island, and most people have at least a basic command of English.

The pronominal system distinguishes singular, dual, paucal and plural number and first, second and third person, but not gender.

This correlates with, but does not coincide completely with, a semantic distinction between inalienable and alienable possession.

In addition, spatial nouns, referring to concepts such as "inside", "on top of" and "behind", are obligatorily used in a direct possessive construction.

Verbal derivational morphology is limited to the causative prefix pe-, the applicative suffix -ek, and reduplication.

It is used as an anaphorical device to refer back to an item mentioned just before, usually in the previous clause, as in the example below: opewo=pe2SG=PFVlêplêptakesuepsuephoeaaandopewo=pe2SG=PFVyilekyil-ek=Ødig-APPL=3SG.ZEROponatponatsoil[6]  ope lêp suep a ope yilek ponatwo=pe lêp suep a wo=pe yil-ek=Ø ponat2SG=PFV take hoe and 2SG=PFV dig-APPL=3SG.ZERO soil‘You will take a hoe and you will dig the ground with it.’ [lit.

‘dig-with (it) the ground’]With transitive verbs, full or partial reduplication can be used as an intransitivising device.

Demonstratives in Paluai utilise a three-way distinction pattern based upon person (near speaker, near addressee or neither) or relative distance (close, intermediate, distant).

Perhaps my talk is finished.’Example of anaphor – refers to previously mentioned discourse[11]It is unusual for either three of the basic demonstrative forms to modify nouns and it is also uncommon that the distal form lo is used in discourse, rather used to indicate to a distant object.

[12] Examples 3–5 show use of each demonstrative form with formative te- onwo=an2SG=PRFpwapwathinkmunmunbananatepwote-pwoEMP-DEM.PROXiroyi=to3SG=bePaluai?PaluaiBaluan[13]  on pwa mun tepwo iro Paluai?wo=an pwa mun te-pwo yi=to Paluai2SG=PRF think banana EMP-DEM.PROX 3SG=be Baluan‘Do you think this kind of banana grows on Baluan?’Example of cataphor – refers forward[9]munmunbananateote-yoEMP-DEM.INTiyi3SGmakerinma=kerinNEG1=bunchsipsipone.INANIMpwênpwênNEG2[12]  mun teo i makerin sip pwênmun te-yo yi ma=kerin sip pwênbanana EMP-DEM.INT 3SG NEG1=bunch one.INANIM NEG2‘Those bananas, they are not in a bunch.’Example of anaphor, refers to previously mentioned discourse.

[11]teteSUByoyyoystonereo,te-yoEMP-DEM.INTyamatyamatpersonteteRELiyi3SGpariparibelonging.toaia-yiat-3SGpusungoppusungopclanturêta-urêPOSS-1PC.EXCLtepwote-pwoEMP-DEM.PROXmwanenmwanenenstraightteote-yoEMP-DEM.INTipwakyi=pwak3SG=meetaia-yiiat-3SG[14]  te yoy reo, yamat te i pari ai pusungop turê tepwo mwanen teo ipwak aite yoy te-yo yamat te yi pari a-yi pusungop ta-urê te-pwo mwanenen te-yo yi=pwak a-yiiSUB stone EMP-DEM.INT person REL 3SG belonging.to at-3SG clan POSS-1PC.EXCL EMP-DEM.PROX straight EMP-DEM.INT 3SG=meet at-3SG‘As for these stones, this person who is straight from our clan encountered them.’keikeitreerayweita-yueiDEF-two.longrelote-loEMP-DEM.DISTilayi=la3SG=go.torotobemonokinirêmonoki-n-irêbehind-PERT-3PC[12]  kei raywei relo ila ro monokinirêkei ta-yuei te-lo yi=la to monoki-n-irêtree DEF-two.long EMP-DEM.DIST 3SG=go.to be behind-PERT-3PC‘Those two trees are behind them.’Example of cataphor – refers forward[9]Another set of demonstratives is formed by prefixing emplatic particle te- with preposition a- to form a spatial adverbial demonstrative of which has the ability to modify verbs only.

Atepwo, ateyo and atelo refer to the location where the activity described by verb is held.

[12] wosawo=sa2SG=MODyenyenliearepwoa-te-pwoat-EMP-DEM.PROXpwênpwênNEG[12]  wosa yen arepwo pwênwo=sa yen a-te-pwo pwên2SG=MOD lie at-EMP-DEM.PROX NEG‘You cannot lie here.’wuisotwui=sot1DU.EXCL=go.upkunawayutkunawayuttake.restareoa-te-yoat-EMP-DEM.INT[12]  wuisot kunawayut areowui=sot kunawayut a-te-yo1DU.EXCL=go.up take.rest at-EMP-DEM.INT‘We went up to take a rest there.’olawo=la2SG=go.tolêplêptakekongka-ngCLF.food-1SG.PERTpayanpôlpayan.pôldry.coconutsipsipone.INANIMteteRELilayi=la3SG=go.torotobeareloa-te-loat-EMP-DEM.DISTmemecome[15]  ola lêp kong payanpôl sip te ila ro arelo mewo=la lêp ka-ng payan.pôl sip te yi=la to a-te-lo me2SG=go.to take CLF.food-1SG.PERT dry.coconut one.INANIM REL 3SG=go.to be at-EMP-DEM.DIST come‘You go and take my coconut (for me to eat) that is over there, and bring it here.’This complex demonstrative uses formative ta-, the emphatic particle te- and a basic form of demonstrative.

[15] Nulik,NulikNuliktarepwota-te-pwoDEF-EMP-DEM.PROXranta-nPOSS-PERTsê?sêwho[15]  Nulik, tarepwo ran sê?Nulik ta-te-pwo ta-n sêNulik DEF-EMP-DEM.PROX POSS-PERT who‘Nulik, whose is this?’irouekyi=touek3SG=shownêmnêmbe.finishedtareota-te-yoDEF-EMP-DEM.INTlalago.toranta-nPOSS-PERTpeinpeinwomanteote-yoEMP-DEM.INT[17]  irouek nêm tareo la ran pein teoyi=touek nêm ta-te-yo la ta-n pein te-yo3SG=show be.finished DEF-EMP-DEM.INT go.to POSS-PERT woman EMP-DEM.INT‘She showed all that [what has been talked about just before] to the woman.’tarelota-te-loDEF-EMP-DEM.DISTyeuyeuyeuyeustar[16]  tarelo yeuyeuta-te-lo yeuyeuDEF-EMP-DEM.DIST star‘Those are stars.’There are four pronominal paradigms: free subject forms, bound subject forms, object forms and possessive forms.

Pronouns distinguish singular, dual, paucal and plural number, and have a clusivity distinction.

The language has a system of directionals composed of ten members, eight of which are specified with regard to an absolute frame of reference (FoR).

[18][19] An absolute FoR is based on fixed bearings, such as where the sun rises or sets or wind directions.