A Grammar of the Skou Language of New Guinea [draft]

Description

This book presents a description of the grammar of the Skou language, with at least basic coverage of most other ‘core’ parts of the grammar, and more detailed coverage of selected topics. It cannot do equal justice to the entire range of grammatical systems found in the language, nor, in all likelihood, cover all aspects of those systems that are described here. It does, however, describe some of the interesting features that can be found in the language, which represents a previously under-known part of the linguistic world, and has much of interest for linguistics. While many of my own interests are reflected in these pages more adequately and in more detail than other aspects of linguistic research, which are no less worthy of attention, this reflects my shortcomings rather than any lack of interesting data and problems from the language.The language described here as Skou, and which has been referred to in the linguistics literature as Sko, Skou, Səkou, and Tumawo, is referred to locally as Te Máwo pílang nè ne (‘Our, the Mabo people’s, language’). Skou is related to other languages in the small Skou family of which it is the westernmost member. The language family stretches across the north coast of New Guinea, past Vanimo to Leitre (More distant relations can be established with other members of the Macro-Skou family, including but not confined to the previously-reported Krisa, Rawo, Puari, and Warapu [= Barupu] (…)