ngangaeme

Tabaru

Etymology

From N- (nominalizer) +‎ aeme (“to lick”) with partial reduplication. The Proto-North Halmahera ancestor of aeme may be reconstructed with initial *l or initial *ḋ. Historical N- prefixation (at the PNH stage or later) on either would have resulted in the Tabaru reflex having an initial vowel or initial n, respectively; thus, this Tabaru term must have formed after loss of initial *l or initial *ḋ, the first of which occurred relatively recently (cf. caana, salaka, both mediated through Ternate).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ŋa.ˈŋa.e.me/, [ŋa.ˈŋa.e.me]

Noun

ngangaeme (underlying form ngangaem)

1. the tongue