Wakasihu, or Larike-Wakasihu after the two still-vigorous dialects, is an Austronesian language of Ambon Island in the Maluku Islands.

Phonology

Wakasihu consonants
LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottal
Plosivevoicelesspt()kʔ
voiced(b)d()(ɡ)
Nasalmn(ŋ)
Fricativesh
Tapɾ
Laterall
Approximantwj

Phonemes in parentheses are borrowed from other languages.

Wakasihu vowels
FrontCentralBack
Closeiu
Mideo
Opena

/iea/ are heard as [ɪɛə] when in closed or stressed syllable position.

Further reading

  • Laidig, Carol J.; Laidig, Wyn D. (1991). (in Indonesian and English). Ambon: Universitas Pattimura and Summer Institute of Linguistics. ISBN 979-8132-24-6.
  • Laidig, Carol J.; Laidig, Wyn D. (1991). (in Indonesian and English). Ambon: Universitas Pattimura and Summer Institute of Linguistics. ISBN 979-8132-25-4.
  • Laidig, Wyn D.; Laidig, Carol J. (1995). (PDF). In Laidig, Wyn D. (ed.). Descriptive Studies in Languages of Maluku, Part II. NUSA 38. Jakarta: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya. pp. 19–42.