yoge

Mwotlap

Etymology

From Proto-Torres-Banks *(i) rua ɣai, from Proto-Oceanic *i (“3rd person pronoun”) + *rua (“two”) + *kai (“native, person”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jɔɣɛ/

Article

yoge (dual)

1. the (dual article for human nouns)

   yoge lōqōvēn ― (the) two women

Usage notes

• General determiner; does not encode definiteness.
• Contrasts with singular na- (prefix), trial tēlge, plural ige.

Pronoun

yoge (dual)

1. people (dual pronoun for human nouns)

   yoge li-siok ― the two (people) on the canoe

Usage notes

• Contrasts with 3rd dual personal pronoun kōyō.

References

• p.123 of: François, Alexandre. 2005. A typological overview of Mwotlap, an Oceanic language of Vanuatu. Linguistic typology 9 (1): 115–146. DOI:10.1515/lity.2005.9.1.115.
• François, Alexandre. 2024. Online Mwotlap–English–French cultural dictionary. Electronic files. Paris: CNRS. (Pdf version) – entry yoge.