Alekano language

Alekano, or Gahuku (Gahuku-Gama), is a Papuan language spoken in Gahuku Rural LLG of Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. There are about 25,000 speakers.

Alekano is also known as Gahuku, after the name of the largest clan of speakers, or Gama, after the second largest clan. Calling the language by these names has been rejected by speakers who are not members of these clans. Alekano was proposed as a suitable new name by the linguist Ellis Deibler, and it might be considered the official name by linguists. The name is almost unknown to speakers of the Gahuku and Gama clans. "Alekano" means "bring it". In two closely related languages spoken directly to the northwest, Tokano and Dano, it has the same meaning.

Phonology
Alekano has 5 vowels, all unrounded, which is exceptional. It has 12 consonants, but is found only in the village Wanima, in derivations or in pidgin loanwords.

Glottal coda
In Alekano, a syllable may be closed only with a glottal stop, as in "enough". That is currently not treated as a consonant, but it is unclear if words written as vowel initial begin with a glottal stop. It is written as an acute accent in the orthography, for example, ánesí.

Consonants
The lateral is initially and  between vowels.

Syllables
The most complex syllables are of the form : VV may be a diphthong of, , or followed by  or , or of. Other vowels may also occur in sequence (hiatus).

Tone
Alekano has low and high tones but with a very low functional load. HL receives strong stress, LH lesser stress.

Grammar
Alekano is a subject–object–verb (SOV) language.

Orthography
Alekano uses the Latin script.