Region Northeast East Timor Dialects Waimoa
Kairui
Midiki | Native speakers 18,467 (2010 censuses) | |
 | ||
Language family Austronesian ?
Malayo-Polynesian (MP)
Nuclear MP
(Central–Eastern)
Timor–Babar
Waima'a?
Waimoa ISO 639-3 Either:
wmh – Waimoa
krd – Kairui-Midiki Glottolog waim1252 (Waima'a)
kair1265 (Kairui-Midiki) | ||
Waimoa or Waima'a is a spoken by about 18,467 (2010 census) people in northeast East Timor. Waimoa proper is reported to be mutually intelligible with neighboring Kairui and Midiki, with 5,000 speakers total.
The classification of Waimoa is unclear. Structurally, it is Malayo-Polynesian. However, its vocabulary is largely Papuan, similar to that of Makasae. Although generally classified as Austronesian languages or dialects that have been largely relexified under the influence of a language related to Makasae, it is possible that Waimoa, Kairui, and Midiki are instead Papuan languages related to Makasae which have been influenced by Austronesian.
Phonology
Waimoa has aspirated consonants, and is one of only two (possibly) Austronesian languages reported to have a set of ejective stops, the other being Yapese:
However, these sounds have also been described as post-glottalized.
There is also vowel harmony.