ΚΕΙ
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1. BASIC DATA
| Language/dialect | : | Kei |
| Number of the list | : | 10 |
| Mentioned in | : | NBG. 1895 |
| Year of investigation | : | 1895 |
| Place of investigation | : | Langgur |
| Name of investigator | : | J.D. Kusters |
1.2. OTHER DETAILS
1.2.1. Notes
The spelling of the Keiese words is wholly based on the Dutch pronunciation <of the letters>. Only in a few cases one might encounter difficulties, e.g. the v at the end of a word: waav 'pig'. One should pronounce it as much as possible as it is written; then one will pronounce it like the Keiese do. The Keiese call their islands: nohoe eiwaav.
The ng, e.g. in the word ngiwoer 'stomach' is a bit difficult to pronounce for Dutchmen. It is exactly the sound used by the Chinese, e.g. in the word ngan-tjoe 'eye'. In the word kaseh loeier 'look for' <?> one should pronounce the first part, kaseh, like the first syllable (or word) in the French name cache-lumière. When it would be necessary to write three consequitive a's the double aa has been shortened to ā. Thus, enwaād instead of enwäaad 'to believe'.
è as in èn enfèdan 'to kill' is the same sound as in French père.
e as in benam 'food', is the same as the first e in Dutch beginnen <= [ǝ]>.
