Kwerba language

Kwerba is a Papuan language of Indonesia. Alternate names are Airmati (Armati), Koassa, Mataweja, Naibedj, Segar Tor, Tekutameso.

Kwerba
Sasawa
Native to	Indonesia
Region	Sarmi Regency, Papua
Native speakers	(2,500 cited 1996)[1]
Language family	Foja Range Kwerbic Nuclear Kwerba Kwerba
Dialects	Serikenam Sasawa Nogukwabai
Language codes
ISO 639-3	kwe
Glottolog	nucl1595

Kwerba is spoken in Apiaweti, Aurime, Munukania, Tatsewalem, and Wamariri villages in Sarmi Regency.^[2]

Phonology

Consonants^[3]

	Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar
Plosive	p pʷ	t	tʃ	k kʷ
Fricative		s
Nasal	m mʷ	n	ɲ	ŋ
Approximant	w	r	j

• The consonants /p k/ can be heard as [ɸ x] intervocalically.
• The plosive and affricate consonants can be aspirated word-finally.
• /s/ sometimes varies to [h] word initially and intervocalically for some speakers.
• /r/ does not occur word-initially.

Vowels^[3]

	Front	Central	Back
High	i		u
Near-high	ɪ
Mid-high	e	ə	o
Mid-low	ɛ
Low		a

Stress occurs on the penultimate syllable.^[3]

Pronouns

Kwerba nominative pronouns as given in Foley (2018):^[4]

		singular	dual	plural
1st person	excl	co	nano’	nino
	incl		na’no	neno
2nd person		am	nono	nom
3rd person		iiniim	iinembwano	iinembwa