Sawai language
The Sawai language is a South Halmahera language of Austronesian stock spoken in Weda and Gane Timor districts of southern Halmahera, northern Maluku Province, Indonesia. There are approximately 12,000 speakers.Sounds
Below is description of the Kobe dialect of Sawai spoken in the villages of Lelilef Woyebulan and Kobe Peplis.Consonants
Sawai has 14 consonants:
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar |
| Stop | p b | t d | | k ɡ |
| Fricative | f | s | | |
| Nasal | m | n | | ŋ |
| Semivowel | w | | j | |
| Lateral | | l | | |
Vowels
Sawai has 7 vowels:Syllable
Sawai has the following syllable structure:
Examples:
| word | gloss | syllable type |
| 's/he/it' | V |
| 'fish' | VC |
| 'alcoholic drink' | CV |
| 's/he/it gives' | CCV |
| 'magic statue' | CVC |
| 's/he/it goes' | CCVC |
