Alekano language

Alekano, or Gahuku (Gahuku-Gama), is a Papuan language spoken in the northern district of Goroka Eastern Highlands of 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 and Alekano has been largely adopted as the official name. Alekano means “bring it”. In two closely related languages spoken directly to the northwest, Tokano and Dano, it also means “bring it”.

Phonology

Alekano has 5 vowels, all unrounded, which is exceptional. It has 12 consonants, though /w/, a voiced labio-velar approximant, is only found in the village named Wanima, in derivations or in Pidgin loanwords.

Vowels

Glottal coda

In Alekano, a syllable may only be closed with a glottal stop, as in /ɑʔnesiʔ/ "enough". This is currently not treated as one of the consonants, though 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.