East Pauwasi languages

Last updated
East Pauwasi
East Pauwasi River
Geographic
distribution
Western New Guinea, Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classification Pauwasi
  • East Pauwasi
Subdivisions
Language codes
Glottolog east2530

The East Pauwasi languages are a family of Papuan languages spoken in north-central New Guinea, on both sides of the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border. They may either form part of a larger Pauwasi language family along with the Western Pauwasi languages, or they could form an independent language family. [1]

Contents

Languages

According to Timothy Usher, the East Pauwasi languages, which seem to form a dialect chain, are: [2]

East Pauwasi River

Usher also identified the Karkar (Yuri) language as Pauwasi.

Lexical reconstruction

Some lexical reconstructions of Proto-East Pauwasi by Usher (2020) are: [2]

glossProto-East Pauwasi
head/hair*mɛ
leaf/hair*mbVwai
ear*wVpi
eye*ji
nose*mɛi
seed/tooth*jɔ
tongue*mɜtaɺVp
foot/leg*mbu
blood*mɜp
bone*ŋgVɺ
skin/bark*apV, *jipi
breast*mɵ̝m
louse*jəmVɺ
pig*pVɺ
bird*and
egg*jVn
tree*naɺV, *waɺ
man/husband*jɵ̝pɛ
woman*VɺVm[i]
sun/sky*jəmaɺ
moon*juŋg
water*Vnd
fire/wood*jau
stone*mbVɺi
path*mVwai
namei
eat/drink*pɜɺ
one*aŋgVtamb
two*anVŋg

Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from Voorhoeve (1971, 1975), [3] [4] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database. [5]

The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. məndai, məndini, mindimna for “head”) or not (e.g. kolk, əndai, gwane for “bone”).

Language Emem Zorop Tebi Towei
headyebikolməndaiməndinimindimna
hairyebipaimepaiməndini-teke; məndini- tekemindi-teke
earwaigifaʔa
eyeyudji; jiei; iei
noseməŋaiməndi
toothjokoldjurai; juraiklekəreser
tonguemetaləpklemalbo
legpukefu(ŋi)puŋwapopnoa
louseyemarejemar; yemarmi
dogendejendru; yendru
pigfərsər
birdolmuawelumu; olmuyemu
eggyensenalani; membijek
bloodmobemobteri; təriedefi
bonekolkəndaigwane; gwanopana
skinabefou; wuserser
breastmuammamu
treenare; waltinare; war; wiŋguwejalgi; weyalgiwemu
manyubearabtoŋkwartokwar
womanelimkeke
sunyəmardjəmar; jemarmaʔayimap
moondjunkwuluma
waterendedjewek; yenderaieye
fireyaudau; juwewe
stoneyomeiandrurkwolamafi
road, pathmaifiaʔa
nameeiawei; djei; jeikiniken
eatferfel; fernenembra
onegərakamaŋgətəwam; əŋətəwamkərowaligiona
twoanəŋgiaranəŋgarkrekrana

References

  1. Foley, William A. (2018). "The Languages of the Sepik-Ramu Basin and Environs". 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. 197–432. ISBN   978-3-11-028642-7.
  2. 1 2 NewGuineaWorld
  3. Voorhoeve, C.L. "Miscellaneous Notes on Languages in West Irian, New Guinea". In Dutton, T., Voorhoeve, C. and Wurm, S.A. editors, Papers in New Guinea Linguistics No. 14. A-28:47-114. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1971. doi : 10.15144/PL-A28.47
  4. Voorhoeve, C.L. Languages of Irian Jaya: Checklist. Preliminary classification, language maps, wordlists. B-31, iv + 133 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1975. doi : 10.15144/PL-B31
  5. Greenhill, Simon (2016). "TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea" . Retrieved 2020-11-05.