Nukna grammar sketch by Matthew A. Taylor

Abstract

Nukna (ISO code klt) is a Papuan language spoken by approximately 1,000 individuals in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. This language is reported to be used extensively in the community, although Tok Pisin and English are used in schools. Existing documentation and description of this language includes Taylor’s (2006) sociolinguistic study, with few other widely available publications on the language. Taylor’s Nukna grammar sketch (NGS), published by SIL-PNG Academic Publications, adds significantly to this existing description and is based on data collected over approximately eight years with the Summer Institute of Linguistics. Although it is labeled a “grammar sketch,” this book is certainly more robust that many sketch grammars, covering a wide range of topics from phonology to discourse. This work also addresses verbal morphology and syntax in greater depth than a typical sketch grammar might.