Porome language

Last updated
Porome
Kibiri
Native to Papua New Guinea
Region Gulf Province, Kikori District, near Aird Hills, on several tributaries of Kikori River, villages of Tipeowo, Doibo, Paile, Babaguina, Ero, and Wowa in southern Papua New Guinea
Native speakers
1,200 (2011) [1]
Dialects
  • Porome
  • Kibiri
Language codes
ISO 639-3 prm
Glottolog kibi1239
ELP Kibiri-Porome
Porome language.svg
Map: The Porome language of New Guinea
  The Porome language (large bay, southern PNG)
  Trans–New Guinea languages
  Other Papuan languages
  Austronesian languages
  Uninhabited
Coordinates: 7°27′S144°17′E / 7.450°S 144.283°E / -7.450; 144.283
Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap  
Download coordinates as: KML

Porome, also known as Kibiri, is a Papuan language of southern Papua New Guinea.

Contents

Classification

Porome was classified as a language isolate by Stephen Wurm. Although Malcolm Ross linked it to the Kiwaian languages, there is no evidence for a connection apart from the pronouns 1sg amo and 2sg do (cf. proto-Kiwaian *mo and *oro).

Distribution

There are over a thousand speakers in Babaguina ( 7°28′52″S144°15′14″E / 7.480977°S 144.254009°E / -7.480977; 144.254009 (Babaguina) ), Doibo ( 7°27′28″S144°16′18″E / 7.45766°S 144.271731°E / -7.45766; 144.271731 (Doibo/Babeio/Veiru) ), Ero ( 7°26′46″S144°21′53″E / 7.446131°S 144.364831°E / -7.446131; 144.364831 (Ero) ), Paile, Tipeowo, and Wowa ( 7°24′51″S144°18′56″E / 7.414287°S 144.315579°E / -7.414287; 144.315579 (Wowou) ) villages in West Kikori Rural LLG and East Kikori Rural LLG of Gulf Province, near the Aird Hills and Kikori River tributaries. [2] [3]

Phonology

Porome has 9 native consonants. /s/ occurs in loanwords. There are no glottal consonants. [4]

ptk~g~ɣ
bd
v
mn
r
(s)

There are five vowels, which are /a, e, i, o, u/. [4]

Like the surrounding languages, Porome is a tonal language. It has 5 tones. [4]

Pronouns

The independent pronouns and subject suffixes to the verb are as follows:

sgdupl
1amo, -meamó-kaiamó, -ke/-ki
2do, -keaia-kaia, -ka
3da, -a/-bVabo-kaiabo, -abo

Vocabulary

Selected Porome vocabulary from Petterson (2010): [5]

Body parts

PoromeGloss
kikimihead
kikimikurohair
pakaiforehead
ipiri kukuroeyebrow, eyelashes
ipirieye
obokeraear
urubinose
koropitooth
beritongue
kakimorocheek
irihand
kakathumb
iri urakapalm
upuruburowaraback
itariback of neck (nape)
eimurobreast
bamakaichest
bakuribelly
koupurishoulder
kuneithigh
murikaraknee
warakeroleg
kakapufoot

Numerals

PoromeGloss
tauri0
wakua1
kabirai2
wauteri3
kaka etekaro4
irikia wakua5
irikia wakua, muro wakua6
irikia wakua, muro kabirai7
irikia wakua, muro wauteri8
irikia wakua, muro kaka etekaro9
irikia kabirai10

Village and society

PoromeGloss
kurivillage
mapihouse
ereifire
kumapistone
wawaricreek
meripath
penonibridge
moiamen
eriawomen
kariboys
mibugirls

Nature and environment

PoromeGloss
bari nakasky
eri ipirosun
omeri teromoon
okoiristar
keibuwaves
momoiclouds
bari epurain clouds
kakaikapo, neiirain
meremerilightning
marari, konoboriwind
eroland
eiiearth, soil
ubiwater
kakuriver
eimurobush
erouriisland
mokipassage
parisand
otericliff
akaburimountain

Plants

PoromeGloss
kubitree
aveiribranch
kuriroots
oreileaf
kopoflower
eneneigrass
avui cutty grass
makaibetelnut
diicoconut
meisugarcane

Animals

PoromeGloss
bobipig
kumidog
bari mei kumochicken
kaburifrog
barami wallaby
pusicat
kuiou tree kangaroo
kaiani, keiparirat
imaisnake
boribi cuscus
tumaru bandicoot
kana bird-of-paradise
koropeiricassowary
wamobush fowl
kubeiri flying fox
kapasikori black cockatoo
marubo hornbill
koribifish
einakereicentipede
eiamumillipede
morokabispider
ubatugrasshopper
nepu, matimosquito
nokoirifly
enenecicada
bebeiributterfly
aii sago grub
buburumi sago beetle
mirimabiscorpion
micrab
timuriprawn
vicockle, clam
keimucrocodile
akouririver snake
dabeourisea turtle
ketokocreek turtle
watemuriver turtle

Comparison

Lexical comparison of Porome with neighboring languages: [4]

glossPorome
(isolate)
Urama
( Kiwaian )
Rumu
( Turama–Kikorian )
Ipiko
( Anim )
Folopa
( Teberan )
Baimuru
(isolate)
headkikimi / kikimaepuwotuabetopouku
eyeipiri / ipiroidomaiihiuhinokeleinamu
housemapi / mapiromotomi / veahobemarea
villagekuri / kurovatiyɔ / vevatibepaʔiri
placedabu / dabovatiteivatitikipaʔiri
treekubi / kubonuʔaideniiri
fireerei / eriaeraitaesiiʔau
dogkumi / kumoumukagahahaɔoroko
birdkumi / kumokikiokatipemubanako
waterubi / uburoobouogowęiere
earthei / erohepupɛkɛ / hapugoʔetohaekae
basemakiri / makiromabumatekamabaaleʔaia
sagoi / irodukɛiduopu
1s pronounámòmoi / nanona
2s pronoundoroiki / kavo (< ɣo)ya̜ni
3s pronoundanuaete / itu / etou
1p pronounàmònimonamenida̜ene
2p pronounariokamehodia̜noro
3p pronounaboniameitiatimaoro

Comparison of Porome's phonological inventory with those of neighboring languages: [4]

languageno. of
consonants
no. of
vowels
/h//ʔ/
Porome95
Baimuru 75Yes check.svg
Rumu 87Yes check.svg
Kope 105Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Urama 125Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Kerewo 135Yes check.svgYes check.svg

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References

  1. Porome at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2019). "Papua New Guinea languages". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (22nd ed.). Dallas: SIL International.
  3. United Nations in Papua New Guinea (2018). "Papua New Guinea Village Coordinates Lookup". Humanitarian Data Exchange. 1.31.9.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Petterson, Robert. 2019. Interesting Features of Porome: An Isolate Language of PNG . Paper presented at the LSPNG 2019 Conference. 30pp.
  5. Petterson, Robert. 2010. Porome Daporo Avea Buka = Porome Language Picture Dictionary. Ukarumpa: SIL-PNG.