SabahMuseum Monograph, Vol. 4 (1993) TATANA' PHONEMICS InkaPekkanen INTRODUCTION 1 . The Tatana' language is spoken in the Kuala Penyu District of the state ofSabah, Malaysia.^ The Kuala Penyu district is located on the Klias Peninsula, in the southwestern part of Sabah. The number ofTatana' speakers is estimated to be about 5,500. The Tatana* people are usually referred to as Kadazans (or Dusuns) by people outside this ethnic group. The name Tatana' means *the people of the earth*. According totheirlegendabouttheirorigin, thepeopledug aholein the groundandhid therefromabelligerentneighbouringtribe,thusacquiringthisname. PHONOLOGICAL DESCRIPTIONS of SABAH LANGUAGES Studies from ten languages: Bonggi Ida'an Kadazan/Dusun Kalabuan Kimaragang Labuk-Kinabatangan Kadazan Lotud Tagal Tatana' Tombonuwo Editedby MichaelE. BoutinandlnkaPekkaneri SABAHMUSEUM KOTA KINABALU 1993