Mainstream Kenyah, also known as Usun Apau and Bakung, is a Kenyah dialect cluster of North Kalimantan, Indonesia, and Sarawak, Malaysia. Dialects fall into four clusters:

  • Lepo’ Tau, Lepo’ Bem, Uma’ Jalan, Uma’ Tukung
  • Lepo’ Ke, Lepo’ Kuda
  • Lepo’ Maut, Lepo’ Ndang, Badeng (Madang)
  • Bakung, Lepo’ Tepu’ (Lepo Teppu’).

Phonology

Consonants

LabialDentalAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottal
Plosive/ Affricatevoicelesspt͡ʃkʔ
voicedbdd͡ʒg
Fricatives
Nasalmnɲŋ
Trillr
Approximantwlj
  • Sounds /p,t̪/ can also occur as geminated [pː,t̪ː] or as unreleased in word-final [p̚,t̪̚].

Vowels

FrontCentralBack
Closeiu
Midɛəɔ
Opena
  • /i/ can also occur as lax [ɪ].
  • Sounds /a,u/ can also be heard as long [aː,uː].

External links