Urat language

Urat (Wasep, Wusyep) is a Torricelli language spoken by a decreasing number of people in Papua New Guinea.

Urat
Native to	Papua New Guinea
Region	East Sepik Province
Native speakers	7,000 (2017)[1]
Language family	Torricelli Urim Urat
Language codes
ISO 639-3	urt
Glottolog	urat1244
ELP	Urat

It is spoken by 2,480 people in Wasep Ngau (North Urat dialect), 2,060 in Wusyep Yihre (Central Urat dialect), 1,210 in Wasep Yam (South Urat dialect), and 550 in Wusyep Tep (East Urat dialect).^[1][2]

Phonology

Unusually for a Papuan language, Urat has four voiceless liquids and semivowels, which are ɬ, r̥, w̥, and j̥. Urat consonants are:^[3]

p	t	ʧ	k	ʔ
ᵐb	ⁿd	ᶮʤ	ᵑg
	s	ʃ		h
m	n	ɲ	ŋ
	l
	ɬ
	r
	r̥
̥w		j
w̥		j̥

Urat vowels are:^[3]

i	u
e	o
a

Pronouns

Pronouns are:^[3]

	sg	pl
1	ŋam	poi
2	nin	yip
3m	kin	tiŋe
3f	ti

Further reading

• Barnes, Barney. 1989. Urat Grammar Essentials. Unpublished manuscript. Ukarumpa, PNG: Summer Institute of Linguistics.