| Nukuma | |
|---|---|
| Ma | |
| Geographic distribution | East Sepik Province, in the Sepik River basin of Papua New Guinea |
| Linguistic classification | Sepik
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | nuku1256 |
The Nukuma languages are a small family of three clearly related languages: [1]
They are generally classified among the Sepik languages of northern Papua New Guinea; Malcolm Ross places them in a Middle Sepik branch of that family.
They are spoken to the north of the Sepik River near Ambunti, and west of the Ambulas-speaking region of Mapr (near Wosera town). [2]
Pronouns in Nukuma languages: [2]
The following basic vocabulary words are from Foley (2005) [3] and Laycock (1968), [4] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database. [5]
The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. masək, masiki for “head”) or not (e.g. miːma, nogəpie for “woman”).
| gloss | Kwoma | Mende |
|---|---|---|
| head | masək | masiki |
| ear | fuː; mabiya | mampla |
| eye | miː; miyi | məsokome |
| nose | sumojɨ; sumwonj | miñompo |
| tooth | pu; tarəkwi | fu |
| tongue | kwunja; tarekwoy | tarple |
| leg | yaːte; yati | kumpa |
| louse | nəkə; nɨka | nika |
| dog | asa | asa |
| pig | buri; poyi | |
| bird | apu | afi |
| egg | apo; bey; mpei | fəla |
| blood | pi | fi |
| bone | apo; hapa | hapa |
| skin | mampə | maume |
| breast | muk; muku | muku |
| tree | me | mi |
| man | ma | ma |
| woman | miːma | nogəpie |
| sun | ya | ta |
| moon | nowəka; nɨwɨka | niyaka |
| water | uku | uku |
| fire | hi; hiː | hi |
| stone | papa | süŋkye |
| name | hi | |
| eat | a | |
| one | pochi | |
| two | uprus | frišip |