Bosavi languages

Last updated
Bosavi
Papuan Plateau
Geographic
distribution
Papuan Plateau, Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classification Trans–New Guinea
  • Bosavi
Glottolog bosa1245
Bosavi languages.svg
Map: The Bosavi languages of New Guinea
  The Bosavi languages
  Other Trans–New Guinea languages
  Other Papuan languages
  Austronesian languages
  Uninhabited

The Bosavi or Papuan Plateau languages belong to the Trans-New Guinea language family according to the classifications made by Malcolm Ross and Timothy Usher. This language family derives its name from Mount Bosavi and the Papuan Plateau.

Contents

Geographically, the Bosavi languages are situated to the east and south of the East Strickland group. They can be found around Mount Bosavi, located east of the Strickland River and southwest of the western edge of the central highlands of Papua New Guinea. Although no extensive subgrouping analysis has been conducted, Shaw's lexicostatistical study in 1986 provides some insights.

Based on this study, it is indicated that Kaluli and Sonia exhibit a significant lexical similarity of 70%, which is higher than any other languages compared. Therefore, it is likely that these two languages form a subgroup. Similarly, Etoro and Bedamini share a subgroup with a lexical similarity of 67%. The languages Aimele, Kasua, Onobasulu, and Kaluli-Sunia exhibit more shared isoglosses among themselves than with the Etoro-Bedamini group. Some of these shared isoglosses are likely to be innovations. [1]

Languages

The languages, which are closely related are: [1]

Its worth noting these languages share at best 70% lexical (vocabulary) similarity, as in the case of Kaluli-Sonia, and Edolo-Beami. [1] The rest of related languages likely shares around 10-15% lexical similarities.

The unity of the Bosavi languages was quantitatively[ clarification needed ] demonstrated by Evans and Greenhill (2017). [2]

Palmer et al. (2018) consider Dibiyaso to be a language isolate. [3]

Pronouns

Pronouns are:

sgpl
1*na*ni-
2*ga*gi-
3*ya*yi-

Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from the Trans-New Guinea database: [4]

The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. aubi, awbi, aube for “moon”) or not (e.g. dɔa, igi, kele for “stone”).

gloss Aimele Beami Biami Edolo Kaluli Kaluli
(Bosavi dial.)
Kasua Onabasulu Sonia
headmufatialuna; tiarumatalubab~pusʌmise; misẽpesʌibizei; pesaikunieneipi
hairmufa fɔnɔhinabu; osahinabob~pusʌ henimisẽ fɔ̃; mise foonmedafɔnbizei fʌnu; pesaifanoalu; kuni alueneipi fɔn
earkelenikẽkɛhekenẽ; malokælænkenane; kinɛlikɔheni; koneniekadem
eyesisisiisisisisisi
nosemigimimimigʌnimigimi; mĩmi; mĩmiki
toothbisipese; pẽsẽpesep~besebeso; bispesapapeseʌnenʌ
tonguedabisẽeri; kɔnɛ̃sukona̧suelieʌn; sanoinemtepe; tepɛeane; ɛanetʌbise
leginebiemoemoemɔgidaafoo; giponatu; unɛtuemo; emɔeisep
lousetedeimuimuimũfe; fẽtekeapearupai; pfɛi(fe); fẽfi
dogãgiwæːme; weːmewæmiɔgɔnɔgasa; kasʌkasakasoro; kʌsorogesu; kesɔwɛi
pigkẽgebɔsuguʌkabɔkɔpɔľɔtɔfene
birdabɔmænihega; mænihayʌɔ̃bẽ; oloone; oobaaanemae; ɛnimhaga; hakaʌbɔ
eggabɔ us̪uɔsɔosoisɔɔ̃bẽ uš; usnatape; ufuhokaisu; sɔʌtʌm
bloodomanihæːľehealehiʌlehɔbɔ; hooboobebetʌ; pepetaibihʌbʌ
bonekikasa; kosokasakiwiːkiki; kiːkiwiuku
skinkãfukadofo; kadɔfɔkadofokʌdɔfɔdɔgɔf; toogoofkapokapo; kʌːpɔtomola; tɔmɔlaʌkʌf
breastbuːtoto; tɔtɔtototɔtɔbo; bubobɔ; pobu
treeyebeifaifaiii; taiiyep
mankɔlutunutunu̧tɔnɔkalusenae; senɛinɔlɔ; inoroʌsenʌ
womankaisaleudaudaudiaga; kesali; kesarikesare; kesʌľeido; idɔnʌisɔʌ
sunofɔesɔ; eṣɔesoesɔof; ɔfopoɔbɔ; opoharo; hɔlɔof
moonoleaubiawbiaubeilikunɛi; opoaube; auboweľe
waterhãnihãlɔ̃; harõha̧loɔ̃tãhɔ̃n; hoonhoŋhano; hʌnɔ̃hano; hanɔmɔ͂
firedidaru; naludalunulude; didehomatos; teide; tide
stonedɔaigikeleigiuetewʌ; etoaabaneka
road, pathnɔgoisu
namewidiɔ; diɔ̃dioẽiwiunũwiimi
eatmayãna; nahana-imo-nahãːmayakinatapo; mɛnẽnamana; namenamenʌ
oneageliafaiafa̧i̧ageãgel; angelsemeti; tekeapeagaleitidi
twoageleweliadunãadunaagedua̧dep; ãdipɛľipiaganebo; aidaani

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References

  1. 1 2 3 The Trans New Guinea family Andrew Pawley and Harald Hammarström
  2. Evans, Bethwyn; Greenhill, Simon (2017). "A combined comparative and phylogenetic analysis of the Bosavi and East Strickland languages" (PDF). 4th Workshop on the Languages of Papua. Universitas Negeri Papua, Manokwari, West Papua, Indonesia.
  3. Palmer, Bill (2018). "Language families of the New Guinea Area". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 1–20. ISBN   978-3-11-028642-7.
  4. Greenhill, Simon (2016). "TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea" . Retrieved 2020-11-05.