Buna language

Not to be confused with Mbum language.

Buna is a Torricelli language of Marienberg Rural LLG, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.

Buna
Native to	Papua New Guinea
Region	Marienberg Rural LLG, East Sepik Province
Native speakers	750 (2003)[1]
Language family	Torricelli Marienberg Buna
Dialects	North Buna South Buna
Language codes
ISO 639-3	bvn
Glottolog	buna1277
ELP	Buna

There are two divergent dialects. One dialect is spoken in Kasmin (4.018975°S 144.060235°E / -4.018975; 144.060235 (Kasmin 1)), Boig (3.84861°S 144.054923°E / -3.84861; 144.054923 (Boik)), Waskurin (3.870089°S 144.068112°E / -3.870089; 144.068112 (Waskurin)), and Arapang (3.88039°S 144.073217°E / -3.88039; 144.073217 (Ariapan)) villages, and another in Masan, Mangan (3.953676°S 144.239463°E / -3.953676; 144.239463 (Mangan)), and Garien villages.^[1][2]

Morphology

Buna has four noun classes. Noun class concord affixes in Buna are shown in the following examples.^[3]

Class 1

singular (masculine)	plural (masculine)
uri person.CL1.SG gaba-re big-CL1.SG do-ko-n CL1.SG.SBJ-go-CL1.SG uri gaba-re do-ko-n person.CL1.SG big-CL1.SG CL1.SG.SBJ-go-CL1.SG ‘The big man went.’	oret person.CL1.PL gaba-bwe big-CL1.PL bo-ko-m CL1.PL.SBJ-go-CL1.PL oret gaba-bwe bo-ko-m person.CL1.PL big-CL1.PL CL1.PL.SBJ-go-CL1.PL ‘The big men went.’

Class 2

singular (feminine)	plural (feminine)
uri person.CL2.SG gaba-gwe big-CL2.SG go-ko-ŋ CL2.SG.SBJ-go-CL2.SG uri gaba-gwe go-ko-ŋ person.CL2.SG big-CL2.SG CL2.SG.SBJ-go-CL2.SG ‘The big woman went.’	oret person.CL2.PL gaba-ʔe big-CL2.PL e-ko CL2.PL.SBJ-go oret gaba-ʔe e-ko person.CL2.PL big-CL2.PL CL2.PL.SBJ-go ‘The big women went.’

Class 3

singular (class III)	plural (class III)
wan banana.CL3.SG gaba-re big-CL3.SG na-ti-n CL3.SG.SBJ-fall-CL3.SG wan gaba-re na-ti-n banana.CL3.SG big-CL3.SG CL3.SG.SBJ-fall-CL3.SG ‘A big banana fell down.’	wan banana.CL3.PL gaba-we big-CL3.PL u-ti-u CL3.PL.SBJ-fall-CL3.PL wan gaba-we u-ti-u banana.CL3.PL big-CL3.PL CL3.PL.SBJ-fall-CL3.PL ‘Big bananas fell down.’

Class 4

singular (class IV)	plural (class IV)
kwala netbag.CL4.SG gaba-le big-CL4.SG li-ti-l CL4.SG.SBJ-fall-CL4.SG kwala gaba-le li-ti-l netbag.CL4.SG big-CL4.SG CL4.SG.SBJ-fall-CL4.SG ‘A big netbag fell down.’	kwala netbag.CL4.PL gaba-be big-CL4.PL bə-t-əm CL4.PL.SBJ-fall-CL4.PL kwala gaba-be bə-t-əm netbag.CL4.PL big-CL4.PL CL4.PL.SBJ-fall-CL4.PL ‘Some big netbags fell down.’