| Marienberg | |
|---|---|
| Marienberg Hills | |
| Geographic distribution | Marienberg Hills, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea |
| Linguistic classification | Torricelli
|
| Glottolog | mari1433 |
 The Torricelli languages as classified by Foley (2018) | |
The Marienberg or Marienberg Hills languages are a branch of the Torricelli language family. They are spoken in a mountainous stretch of region located between the towns of Wewak and Angoram in the Marienberg Hills of East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.
Marienberg languages distinguish masculine and feminine genders, with feminine being the default unmarked gender. [1]
Unlike all other Torricelli branches except for the Monumbo languages, word order in the Bogia languages is SOV, likely due to contact with Lower Sepik-Ramu and Sepik languages. [1] : 298
Foley (2018) provides the following classification, based primarily on morphological evidence. [1]
There is also Forok, labeled as a variety of Bungain in survey vocabularies.
Pronouns in selected Marienberg Hill languages: [1] : 304
The Torricelli languages are a family of about fifty languages of the northern Papua New Guinea coast, spoken by about 80,000 people. They are named after the Torricelli Mountains. The most populous and best known Torricelli language is Arapesh, with about 30,000 speakers.
The Sepik or Sepik River languages are a family of some 50 Papuan languages spoken in the Sepik river basin of northern Papua New Guinea, proposed by Donald Laycock in 1965 in a somewhat more limited form than presented here. They tend to have simple phonologies, with few consonants or vowels and usually no tones.
Isirawa is a Papuan language spoken by about two thousand people on the north coast of Papua province, Indonesia. It's a local trade language, and use is vigorous. Stephen Wurm (1975) linked it to the Kwerba languages within the Trans–New Guinea family, and it does share about 20% of its vocabulary with neighboring Kwerba languages. However, based on its pronouns, Malcolm Ross (2005) felt he could not substantiate such a link, and left it as a language isolate. The pronouns are not, however, dissimilar from those of Orya–Tor, which Ross links to Kwerba, and Donahue (2002) accept it as a Greater Kwerba language.
The Middle Sepik languages comprise diverse groups of Sepik languages spoken in northern Papua New Guinea. The Middle Sepik grouping is provisionally accepted by Foley (2018) based on shared innovations in pronouns, but is divided by Glottolog. They are spoken in areas surrounding the town of Ambunti in East Sepik Province.
The Maimai languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family. They are spoken just to the west of Nuku town in eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.
The Palei languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family according to Laycock (1975). They are spoken in mountainous regions of eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.
The Wapei languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family according to Laycock (1975). Glottolog does not accept this grouping. They are spoken in mountainous regions of eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.
The Monumbo or Bogia Bay languages are a pair of closely related languages that constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family. They are spoken in a few coastal villages around Bogia Bay of Bogia District, Madang Province in Papua New Guinea. Unlike all other Torricelli branches except for the Marienberg languages, word order in the Bogia languages is SOV, likely due to contact with Lower Sepik-Ramu and Sepik languages.
Nuku District is a district of Sandaun Province of Papua New Guinea. Its capital is Nuku. Nuku District is a major center of Torricelli linguistic diversity.
Murik a.k.a. Nor is a Lower Sepik language spoken in Papua New Guinea. It is spoken in Murik ward of Marienberg Rural LLG, East Sepik Province, which is located around a large coastal lagoon.
Yahang (Ya’unk) a.k.a. Ruruhip (Ruruhi’ip) is a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea. It shares the name Ruruhip with Heyo, which is closely related.
Buna is a Torricelli language of Marienberg Rural LLG, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.
Elepi is a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea. It is spoken in Samap village of Turubu Rural LLG, East Sepik Province.
Kamasau is a Torricelli language of Turubu Rural LLG, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.
Ningil is a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea.
The Kombio-Arapeshan languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family according to Laycock (1975), but this is doubted by Foley (2018).
The Wapei–Palei languages are spoken in mountainous regions of eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea. The Wapei languages and Palei languages together constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family according to Laycock (1975).
The One or West Wapei languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family. They are spoken in north-central Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.
The Urim languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family. They are spoken in East Sepik Province, in areas bordering the northeastern corner of Sandaun Province.
The Marienberg Hills are a mountain range in East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. The Marienberg languages are spoken in the Marienberg Hills.