Ambulas (or Abelam, Abulas) is a member of the Ndu languages of Sepik River region of northern Papua New Guinea.OLAC resources in and about the Ambulas language Dialects are Maprik, Wingei, Wosera-Kamu, Wosera-Mamu.
Phonology + Consonants Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Plosive/Affricate Nasal Fricative Liquid Semivowel
+ VowelsFrontCentralBackHigh () ()Mid Low
Vocabulary
Word-Formation Source:
Reduplication Most words in Ambulas are roots, although some word-stems are reduplicated, compounded, or derived. +Examples of ReduplicationStemMeaningpepe (noun)"flying fox species"kiyakiya (noun)"fever"kwaskwas (noun)"frog species"jékjék (adjective)"tough"nyeknyek (adjective)"soft"
Compound Stems In Ambulas, compound stems occur within nouns (including temporal nouns and quantifiers) and verbs. +Examples of Noun StemsStem 1Stem 2Compound Stemméni "eye"taama "nose"ménidama "face"kaadé "hunger"mu "thing"kadému "food"séré "tomorrow"maa "day after"séréma "in the future"nak "one"waasa "dog"nakwasa "four"nak "one"taaba "hand"naktaba "five" +Examples of Verb StemsStem 1Stem 2Compound Stemra "sit"ségé "watch"raségé "look after"bul "talk"tégé "close"bultépé "interrupt"taak "break sharply"burép "touch against"takuburép "chip against"taa "carve"kény "whittle"taakény "carve something small"
Derivational Stems Adjective stems can be formed by adding suffixes, such as -mama (meaning "possessing much"), to noun roots or noun stems. +Examples of Noun Root SuffixingRoot-mama stem suffixationapa "strength"apamama "very strong"yéwaa "money"yéwamama "very wealthy"baalé "pig"balémama "possessing many pigs" +Examples of Noun Stem SuffixingRoot-mama stem suffixationkadému "food"kadémumama "possessing much food"gwalmu "money"gwalmumama "very wealthy in possessions"
References
External links OLAC resources in and about the Ambulas language Anthony Forge Films and Recordings From the Anthony Forge Papers. MSS 411. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego. Ambulas Grammar (Wilson, 1980)