The Mentawai language is an Austronesian language, spoken by the Mentawai people of the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Dialects According to Ethnologue, Mentawai dialects include: Silabu, Sipura – Simalegi, Sakalagan, Saumanganja – North Siberut, South Siberut – Taikaku – Pagai.
Syamsir Arifin, et al. (1992) list twelve dialects of Mentawai:
Mentawai South Siberut Madobat Salappa Ulubaga Sipora Bariulou Bosua Sioban North Pagai Pasapuat Silabu Saumanganya South Pagai Boriai Bulasat Sikakap
Dialects in Siberut Island are: Sikapone Togiiite Pokai Simajegi Simatalu Paipajet Sakuddei Sagulubbe Sirileleu Sikabaluan Sempungan Saibi & Sarabua Silaoinan Sarareiket Sabirut
Phonology
Consonants LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarNasalPlosive/Affricatevoiceless()voicedFricativeLateralRhoticSemivowel
Allophones of /b ɡ k/ can be heard as [β ɣ ʔ]. [t͡ɕ] is a distinct sound in Mentawai, but not given phoneme status by Syamsir et al. because of the lack of minimal contrasts. The semivowels /w j/ only appear in final position.
Vowels FrontCentral Back CloseMidOpen
References
Bibliography