Mambai language (Timor)



Mambai, also called Mambae or Manbae, is a language spoken by the Mambai people, the second largest ethnic group in the island country of East Timor.

Geographic distribution
Mambai is one of 15 constitutionally recognized national languages. The main centers of Mambai are Ermera, Aileu, Remexio, Turiscai, Maubisse Administrative Post, Ainaro Administrative Post and Same Administrative Post. The majority of the Timorese community in Australia is native in Mambai.

Mambai used to be spoken in the area around Dili, when the Portuguese declared the city to be the capital of their colony Portuguese Timor. Therefore, the Tetum Prasa spoken in Dili is still exhibiting strong influences from its Mambai substrate.

Consonants

 * can also be heard as.
 * can also be heard as aspirated.
 * is also heard as a voiced post-alveolar stop.
 * is slightly aspirated before mid and low vowels.  can also have an allophone  when preceding high vowels.
 * The plosives are unreleased  in word-final position.

Vowels

 * can also have shortened allophones.

Dialects
Mambae can be divided into three dialects according to Fogaça (2017):
 * Northwest
 * Liquiça: Bazartete
 * Ermera: Hatulia
 * Ermera: Railaco


 * Northeast-Central
 * Aileu: Laulara
 * Aileu: Vila Grupo
 * Aileu: Liquidoe
 * Ainaro: Hatu-Builico


 * South
 * Ainaro: Hato-Udo
 * Manufahi-Same: Letefoho
 * Manufahi-Same: Betano

Examples of dialectal variation in Mambae:

Comparison of selected body part words in Mambae dialects:


 * {| class="wikitable sortable"

! gloss !! Liquiça (Bazartete) !! Ermera (Hatulia) !! Ermera (Railaco) !! Aileu (Laulara) !! Aileu (Vila Grupo) !! Aileu (Liquidoe) !! Ainaro (Hatu-Builico) !! Ainaro (Hato-Udo) !! Manufahi-Same (Letefoho) !! Manufahi-Same (Betano)
 * mouth || gugun || gugun || gugun || kukun || kukun || kukun || kukun || kuku || kuku || kuku
 * arm || liman || liman || liman || niman || niman || lima || liman || lima || lima || lima
 * elbow || lima sikun || liman sikun || siun || nima siun || nima siun || lima siun || lima siun || lima sikun || lima siku || lima siku
 * shoulder || kabaːs || kabasan || kabasan || kabaːs || kabasa || kabasa || kabaːs || labaːs || kabaːs || au balaːs
 * head || gnutan || glutan || ulun || ulun || ulun || ulun || glutan || ulu || ulu hatu || ulu
 * headache || gnutan baːn || glutan baːn || glutan baːn || ulun baːn || ulun baːn || glutan baːn || glutan baːn || ulu hatusae || ulu hatusae || ulu hatusae
 * hair || ulu nɔɾan || ulu laun || ulun || ulun lahon || ulu nɔɾa || ulun noran || ulun || ulu || ulu || ulu noɾa
 * black hair || ulu meta || ulu meta || ulu meta || ulun meta || ulu nɔɾa mɛta || ulun meta || ulun meta || ulu meta || ulu mɛta || ulu laha meta
 * flesh (human) || ɛta lɔlon || etan || etan || etan || ɛtan || etan || ɛtan || eta lɔlo || ɛta lɔlo || eta lolo
 * heart || hua || huan || huan || huan || huan || huan || huan || hua || hua || hua
 * back || hɔhon tɛten || hoho teten || hɔhon || hoho tɛten || hɔhon || hoho tɛten || asa || hɔho || hɔhɔ tɛte || hoho
 * tooth || nipan || nipan || nipan || nifan || nifan || nifan || nifan || nipa || nifa || nifa
 * finger || lima huan || lima huan || lima huan || nima huan || lima huan || lima kakun || lima huan || lima hua || lima hua || lima hua
 * liver || aten || aten || aten || aten || aten || aten || aten || ate || ate || ate
 * tongue || lamalaun || lamalaun || lamalau || lamalaun || laman || lamalaun || lamelaun || lama || lama || lama
 * hand || liman || liman || liman || niman || niman || liman || liman || lima || lima sanak || lima
 * nose || ilu || ilun || ilun || inun || inun || ilun || inun || ilu || ilu || ilu
 * eye || matan || matan || matan || matan || matan || matan || matan || mata || mata || mata
 * ear || teliga || tligan || tliga || kikan || kika nɔɾan || tika noɾan || kikan || teliga || teliga || teliga
 * bone || rui || ruin || ruin || ruin || ruin || ruin || ruin || rui || rui || rui
 * foot || ɔen || oen || ɔen || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || oe || ɔɛ || oɛ
 * skin || litan || eta litan || litan || litan || litan || litan || litan || tia || tia || eta tia
 * leg || ɔen || oen || ɔen || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || oe || ɔɛ || oɛ
 * neck || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || kdeun || || tgeu || tegeu || tegeu
 * blood || laɾa || laɾa || laɾa || laɾan || laɾa || lalan || laɾan || laːr || lara || laːr
 * }
 * liver || aten || aten || aten || aten || aten || aten || aten || ate || ate || ate
 * tongue || lamalaun || lamalaun || lamalau || lamalaun || laman || lamalaun || lamelaun || lama || lama || lama
 * hand || liman || liman || liman || niman || niman || liman || liman || lima || lima sanak || lima
 * nose || ilu || ilun || ilun || inun || inun || ilun || inun || ilu || ilu || ilu
 * eye || matan || matan || matan || matan || matan || matan || matan || mata || mata || mata
 * ear || teliga || tligan || tliga || kikan || kika nɔɾan || tika noɾan || kikan || teliga || teliga || teliga
 * bone || rui || ruin || ruin || ruin || ruin || ruin || ruin || rui || rui || rui
 * foot || ɔen || oen || ɔen || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || oe || ɔɛ || oɛ
 * skin || litan || eta litan || litan || litan || litan || litan || litan || tia || tia || eta tia
 * leg || ɔen || oen || ɔen || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || oe || ɔɛ || oɛ
 * neck || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || kdeun || || tgeu || tegeu || tegeu
 * blood || laɾa || laɾa || laɾa || laɾan || laɾa || lalan || laɾan || laːr || lara || laːr
 * }
 * bone || rui || ruin || ruin || ruin || ruin || ruin || ruin || rui || rui || rui
 * foot || ɔen || oen || ɔen || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || oe || ɔɛ || oɛ
 * skin || litan || eta litan || litan || litan || litan || litan || litan || tia || tia || eta tia
 * leg || ɔen || oen || ɔen || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || ɔɛn || oe || ɔɛ || oɛ
 * neck || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || kdeun || || tgeu || tegeu || tegeu
 * blood || laɾa || laɾa || laɾa || laɾan || laɾa || lalan || laɾan || laːr || lara || laːr
 * }
 * neck || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || tgeun || kdeun || || tgeu || tegeu || tegeu
 * blood || laɾa || laɾa || laɾa || laɾan || laɾa || lalan || laɾan || laːr || lara || laːr
 * }
 * blood || laɾa || laɾa || laɾa || laɾan || laɾa || lalan || laɾan || laːr || lara || laːr
 * }