Tehit language

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Bird's Head language spoken in Indonesia

title: "Tehit language" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["languages-of-western-new-guinea", "west-bird's-head-languages"] description: "Bird's Head language spoken in Indonesia" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehit_language" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Bird's Head language spoken in Indonesia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox language"]

Field	Value
name	Tehit
nativename	salo téhit
altname	Kaibus
region	Papua
ethnicity	Tehit
states	Indonesia
pushpin_map	Indonesia_Western New Guinea#Indonesia
coordinates
speakers	10,000
date	2000
ref	e25
speakers2	500 monolinguals (2000)
familycolor	Papuan
fam1	West Papuan?
fam2	Bird's Head
fam3	West Bird's Head
iso3	kps
glotto	tehi1237
glottorefname	Tehit
::

Subdivisions

Subgroups

Major Tehit ethnic subgroups:

Tehit Afsya
Tehit Mlafle
Tehit Mlakya
Tehit Konda
Tehit Nakna
Tehit Imian
Tehit Nasfa
Tehit Ogit (Yaben)
Tehit Nerigo
Tehit Srer
Tehit Imian Slaya
Tehit Imian Salmit Klawsa
Tehit Salmit Klawsa
Tehit Sawiat
Tehit Mla Flassi
Tehit Mla Srit
Tehit Wakya
Tehit Gemna
Tehit Sfa
Tehit Fkar (Fkour)

Locations of some Tehit subgroups:

Tehit Mlafle and Tehit Mlakya, in Teminabuan District: Kaibus, Werisar, Keyen, Boldon, Seribau, Srer, and Sria villages.
Tehit Konda, in Konda District: Konda, Mnaelek, and Mbariat villages.
Tehit Nakya, in Saifi District: Malaswat, Manggroholo, Sira, Kwowok, Komanggaret, Sayal, Kayabo, Botaen, Sisir, and Knaya villages.
Tehit Imian, in Seremuk District: Gamaro, Tofot, Haha, Woloin, and Kakas villages.
Tehit Nasfa, in Sawiyat District: Wenslolo, Wensnahan, Wensi villages.

Clans

Tehit clans:

Anggiluli
Ajamsaru
Aru
Anny
Antoh
Asmuruf
Adiolo
Aflili
Anny Snahan
Athabu
Bauk
Blesmargi
Bolhok
Bosawer
Blesia
Bleskadit
Boltal
Bless
Bri
Dimofle
Duwit
Esfat
Fna
Flassy
Flasisao
Firisa
Fafottolo
Fle
Flesa
Gemnase
Gimnafle
Ginuni
Gomor
Homer
Howay
Jarfi
Kasminya
Kalithin
Kabelwa
Kehek
Kaisala
Kareth
Kamesrar
Kaliele
Kedemes
Kwani
Kelelago
Kalilago
Konjol
Kondologit
Kondororik
Krenak
Kemesfle
Klesei
Krimadi
Kladit
Kolin
Kombado
Klafle
Karsao Kadit
Karsauw
Kami
Kambu
Kalkomik
Kolenggea Flesa
Kolinggea Totyi
Kolingge Amak
Kolin
Komendi
Keya
Kamesok
Klofat
Kowani
Lemauk
Lohok
Lokden
Majefat
Maga
Majesfa
Majebrofat
Mbol Foyo
Mere
Meles
Melesogo
Mlik
Momot
Mondar
Mrokendi
Mtrar Mian Neman
Ngomor
Naa
Onim
Oniminya
Ogon
Refe
Ririk
Roni
Sabri
Sabrigis
Salosa
Sawen
Sakamak
Sa Marfat
Sadalmat
Saswen
Saru
Safkaur
Salamuk
Sagaret
Sables
Sadrafle
Sdun
Srefle
Serefat
Sreklefat
Sremere
Saranik
Seramik
Sesa
Smori
Snahan
Sarefe
Snanfi
Sadiwan
Sagisolo
Sregia
Srekadifat
Sakardifat
Salambauw
Slambau Karfat
Srer
Simat
Segeitmena
Seryo
Satfle
Safle
Singgir
Smur
Saman
Susim
Sagrim
Sreifi
Srekya
Srekdifat
Saflafo
Siger
Saflesa
Sre Klefat
Syasefa
Seketeles
Saflembolo
Selaya
Saledrar
Snanbion
Sigi
Sekalas
Saflessa
Sefle
Thesia
Tidiel
T’ryo
Trogea
Tigori
Tritrigoin Wato
Wasfle
Wamban
Way
Watak
Wafatolo
Wamblessa
Wodiok
Woloin
Wagarefe
Widik
Woloble
Wororik
Yatam
Yajan
Yajar
Yable
Yafle
Yadafat
Yadanfi
Yarollo
Yelmolo

Phonology

Consonants

::data[format=table]

Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Uvular	Glottal
p b	t d		ɡ	q
ᵐp ᵐb	ⁿt ⁿd		ᵑɡ	ᶰq
ɸ	s				h
m	n
	ɾ
(w)	l	(j)
::

Glide sounds [w, j] mainly occur as a result of vowels /o, i/ in different syllable positions.
/q/ can be heard as a fricative [ʁ] when in intervocalic positions, and as a velar [k] when in coda position within the onset of /i/.
/d/ can also be heard as an affricate [dʒ] when preceding /i/ in word segments.
Sounds /t, q/ are mainly unreleased [t̚, q̚] in when in word-final positions.
Fricatives /ɸ, s/ can optionally be voiced as [β, z] when within the environment of /i/, among speech.

Vowels

::data[format=table]

Front	Central	Back
i
e	(ə)	o
	a
::

A schwa [ə] vowel sound is said to occur only in pretonic positions, which means in syllables preceding the stressed syllable. It is always heard as unstressed, and always in between consonant sounds.
/i/ can be heard as [ɪ] when preceding a word-final /ɾ/, and as [ɨ] when preceding vowel sounds /a, o/ within the onset of a labial consonant.
/e/ can be heard as [ɛ] when in closed syllables.
/o/ may also have an allophone of [u] when in closed syllables within a labial consonantal onset with a back coda consonant.

Morphology

Tehit has four grammatical genders, which are masculine, feminine, plural, and neuter. Examples:

::data[format=table]

gender	suffix	examples
masculine	-w	ndla-w ‘husband’, sna-w ‘moon’, ''qliik-'''w''''' ‘snake’
feminine	-m	-ene-m ‘mother’, tali-m ‘sun’, ''mbol-'''m''''' ‘house’
plural	-y	sinas-y ‘small mosquito’, sinaq-y ‘gravel’, ''sira'''y''''' ‘salt’
neuter	zero	n/a
::

Gender prefixes in Tehit can not only be used to denote gender, but also size, wholeness, and the stability of appearances. Masculine gender is associated with small size, parts of wholes, and changing appearances, while feminine gender is associated with large size, wholeness, and stable appearances. Examples (from Flassy 1991: 10–12):

::data[format=table]

feminine	masculine	wet ‘child’	e’ren ‘fish’	mbol ‘house’	sika ‘cat’




::

References

Ronsumbre, Adolof. (2020). "Ensiklopedia Suku Bangsa di Provinsi Papua Barat". Penerbit Kepel Press.
Hesse, Ronald. (1993). "Imyan Tehit Phonology". Grand Forks: Univ. of North Dakota.
Hesse, Ronald. (1995). "Syllable structure in Imyan Tehit".
Hesse, Ronald. (2000). "Tehit". Jakarta, Indonesia: Jakarta: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya.
(2018). "The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide". De Gruyter Mouton.

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