Skou languages

Last updated
Skou
Sko
Vanimo Coast
Geographic
distribution		northern New Guinea coast near Vanimo
Linguistic classification Northwest Papuan?
  • Skou
Subdivisions
Glottolog skoo1245

The Sko or Skou languages are a small language family spoken by about 7000 people, mainly along the Vanimo coast of Sandaun Province in Papua New Guinea, with a few being inland from this area and at least one just across the border in the Indonesian province of Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya).

Contents

Typology

Tone

Skou languages are unusual among Papuan languages for being tonal; all Skou languages possess contrastive tone. [1] Vanimo, for example, has three tones, high, mid, low.

Example minimal sets illustrating tonal contrasts in various Skou languages: [1]

Lakes Plain languages, spoken in a discontiguous area to the southwest, are also tonal. Because of the apparent phonological similarities and sharing of stable basic words such as ‘louse’, Foley speculates the potential likelihood of a distant relationship shared between the Skou and Lakes Plain families, but no formal proposals linking the two families have been made due to insufficient evidence. [2] Additionally according to Foley, based on some lexical and phonological similarities, the Keuw language (currently classified as a language isolate) may also possibly share a deep relationship with the Lakes Plain languages. Like the Lakes Plain languages, Keuw also possesses constrative tone.

Lepki, Kaure, and Kembra, spoken in mountainous inland regions of the Indonesia-PNG border to the southwest of the Skou-speaking area, are also tonal. [2]

Morphology

Skou languages can be isolating or polysynthetic. [1]

Classification

Skou languages were first linked by G. Frederici in 1912. In 1941, K.H. Thomas expanded the family to its current extent.

The Sko family is not accepted by Søren Wichmann (2013), who splits it into two separate groups. [3]

Donohue (2007) and Donohue and Crowther (2005) list Nouri as a mixed language having features of both the Piore River and Serra Hills subgroups. [4] [5]

Sko (Laycock 1975)

Laycock posited two branches, Vanimo and Krisa:

Skou (Ross 2005)

However, Krisa is poorly supported and Malcolm Ross abandoned it.

Macro-Skou (Donohue 2002)

Mark Donohue proposed a subclassification based on areal diffusion he called Macro-Skou.

Donohue (2004) notes that is unclear if extinct Nouri is in the Piore River or Serra Hills branch.

Sko (Foley 2018)

Foley (2018) provides the following classification. [1]

Foley's Inner Sko corresponds to Donohue's Western Skou.

Miller (2017)

The Piore River branch was renamed Lagoon in Miller (2017). [6] The older names of the Piore River languages were from village names; Miller has since renamed them as Bauni, Uni, Bouni, and Bobe, though it is debatable whether they are all distinct languages.

Usher (2020)

Usher groups the languages as follows, with each node being a reconstructable clade, and giving the family a geographic label rather than naming it after a single language. The Eastern languages are typologically quite distinct from the Western languages and I'saka. [7]

Pronouns

The pronouns Ross reconstructs for proto-Skou are,

I*nawe*ne
thou*meyou ?
he*kathey (M)*ke
she*bothey (F)*de

The Skou languages also have a dual, with a distinction between inclusive and exclusive we, but the forms are not reconstructable for the proto-language.

Pronouns in individual Skou languages: [1]

pronoun I'saka Barupu Wutung Skou
1SGnananěnániɛnì
2SGmamaměmámɛmè
3MSGkiayáʔeke
3FSGumubócepe
1PLnumuměmínɛtune
2PLyumumŏpúɛtue
3PLi.e.yéitɛtute

Cognates

Sko family cognates (I'saka, Barupu, Wutung, Skou) listed by Foley (2018): [1]

Sko family cognates
gloss I'saka Barupu Wutung Skou
‘hand’douenonoʔɛ̃no
‘tooth’kũeʔũkə̃
‘breast’nitonono
‘woman’bubomwũawũapɛɨma
‘bird’yũrutĩtã
‘dog’nakinaʔinake
‘water’wipipa
‘old’tunitɔrarõtoto
‘eat’aou(u)aa

A cognate set for 'louse' in Sko languages (reconstructing roughly to *nipi in Proto-Sko) as compiled by Dryer (2022): [8]

Language (group)louse
Serra Hills ni, nip, nipi
Warapu mi
Western Sko pi, fi, pĩ
Isaka ẽĩ

Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from Voorhoeve (1971, 1975), [9] [10] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database. [11] More recent data from Marmion (2010) [12] has been added for Wutung and from Donohue (2002) [13] (as cited in the ASJP Database) for Skou.

The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. lúrtô, rəto for “eye”) or not (e.g. hlúqbùr, kəsu for “head”).

gloss Wutung
(Marmion 2010) [12] 		Wutung
(Voorhoeve 1975) [10] 		Skou
(Donohue 2002) [13] [14] 		Skou
(Voorhoeve 1971, 1975) [9] [10]
headhlúqbùrkəsu.rebiröbe; rö́e
hairtàngtatata
earqúrlùrlelö
eyelúrtôrətolu; lutolutɔ̀
nosehaha
toothqúngkəke*kö
legknaŋkutãe
lousehehefifi
dognáqînakinakEnakɛ́
pigcàtyamupálɛ
birdtîngta*tåå; tãŋã
eggkuekuekutã kò
bloodhnjiehihihi
boneqêyeeee
skinmà; nuanaronö re; nö rɔ̀
breastnono*nɔ
treeriri; riteri
manpanyuatebakE baba; keba; kébanè; teba
womanwungawunga3mEpemɛ̀
sunhlànghrãra*rãã́
moonkEke
watercâtyapapa
firehiehaerara
stonewólòngkoŋũwu*hũ; wũ
eatsàqèngpùà (1SG)a*kã; pã; tã
oneófàofaali*alì
twohnyûmòhimehi*tu*hĩ́to

See also

Related Research Articles

Isaka (I’saka) is the language spoken by the people of the villages of Krisa and Pasi in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea. It has also been referred to as Krisa, after the village, although this name is not actually a possible word in the language itself. The sole published source for the language is Donohue and San Roque (2004), although the authors of this have also Identified I’saka material in Donald Laycock's unpublished fieldnotes.

Krisa also known as Krisi is a village in Bewani-Wutung Onei Rural LLG, Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea, 20 kilometers south of the provincial capital of Vanimo. In the local language, the village, its people and the local language itself are all known as I'saka.

Wutung (Udung) and Sangke (Nyao) are a Skou language or pair of languages of Papua New Guinea. It is spoken in the villages of Wutung and Sangke in Bewani/Wutung Onei Rural LLG of Sandaun Province. The two varieties are sometimes considered separate languages.

The Border or Upper Tami languages are an independent family of Papuan languages in Malcolm Ross's version of the Trans–New Guinea proposal.

The Burmeso language – also known as Taurap – is spoken by some 300 people in Burmeso village along the mid Mamberamo River in Mamberamo Tengah subdistrict, Mamberamo Raya Regency, Papua province, Indonesia. It is surrounded by the Kwerba languages to the north, the Lakes Plain languages to the south, and the East Cenderawasih Bay languages to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yawa languages</span> Small language family of Indonesia

The Yawa languages, also known as Yapen languages, are a small family of two closely related Papuan languages, Yawa and Saweru, which are often considered to be divergent dialects of a single language. They are spoken on central Yapen Island and nearby islets, in Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesian Papua, which they share with the Austronesian Yapen languages.

Bauni is a language spoken in Barupu (Warapu) village of West Aitape Rural LLG, Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.

Pasi is a settlement near the coast of Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea, to the west of the province capital of Vanimo. It is four hours walk from the village of Krisa, of which it is an offshoot. It is located in Bewani-Wutung Onei Rural LLG.

The Paniai Lakes languages, also known as the Wissel Lakes or Wissel Lakes – Kemandoga River, are a small family of closely related Trans–New Guinea languages spoken in the Paniai Lakes region of the highlands of Western New Guinea in the Paniai Lakes region of Papua. Foley (2003) considers their Trans–New Guinea status to be established.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolopom languages</span> Language family in Indonesia

The Kolopom languages are a family of Trans–New Guinea languages in the classifications of Stephen Wurm (1975) and of Malcolm Ross (2005). Along with the Mombum languages, they are the languages spoken on Kolepom Island in South Papua, Indonesia.

Molof is a poorly documented Papuan language spoken by about 200 people in Molof village, Senggi District, Keerom Regency.

Vanimo is a Skou language of Papua New Guinea which extends from Leitre to Wutung on the Papua New Guinea - Indonesian border.

Skou, or Tumawo, is a Papuan language of Indonesia.

Rawo is a Papuan language in the Skou family, spoken on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the vicinity of the village of Leitre (Laitre) in Bewani/Wutung Onei Rural LLG, Sandaun Province.

Leitre is a Papuan language in the Skou family, spoken on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the village of Leitre (Laitre) in Bewani-Wutung Onei Rural LLG, Sandaun Province.

Bobe is a Skou language of Papua New Guinea. Genealogically close to Barupu, it has been strongly influenced by Womo.

The Piore River or Lagoon languages form a branch of Skou languages. Historically most have been lumped together as a single Warapu language, with Nouri variously classified. They are spoken in the Sissano Lagoon area of West Aitape Rural LLG, Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea. The Piore River runs to the west of all the languages, and so speakers do not find it an acceptable name. However, it is not clear which name would be better, as the name of the lagoon, 'Sissano', is used for different neighboring languages.

Aitape West Rural LLG is a local-level government (LLG) of Aitape in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.

Bewani/Wutung Onei Rural LLG is a local-level government (LLG) of Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea. Bewani languages and Skou languages are spoken in the LLG.

The Western Skou or Inner Skou languages form a branch of Skou languages. They are spoken in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea. They are called Western Skou by Donohue (2002), Inner Sko by Foley (2018), and West Vanimo Coast by Usher (2020).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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 Foley, William A. (2018). "The languages of Northwest New Guinea". 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. 433–568. ISBN   978-3-11-028642-7.
  3. ↑ Wichmann, Søren. 2013. A classification of Papuan languages. In: Hammarström, Harald and Wilco van den Heuvel (eds.), History, contact and classification of Papuan languages (Language and Linguistics in Melanesia, Special Issue 2012), 313–386. Port Moresby: Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea.
  4. ↑ Donohue, Mark; Crowther, Melissa (2005). "Meeting in the middle: interaction in North-Central New Guinea". In Andrew Pawley; Robert Attenborough; Robin Hide; Jack Golson (eds.). Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. 167–184. ISBN   0-85883-562-2. OCLC   67292782.
  5. ↑ Donohue, Mark P. 2007. A Grammar of the Skou Language of New Guinea. Unpublished manuscript.
  6. ↑ Miller, Steve A. 2017. Skou Languages Near Sissano Lagoon, Papua New Guinea. Language and Linguistics in Melanesia 35: 1–24.
  7. ↑ New Guinea World, Vanimo Coast
  8. ↑ Dryer, Matthew S. (2022). Trans-New Guinea IV.2: Evaluating Membership in Trans-New Guinea.
  9. 1 2 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
  10. 1 2 3 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
  11. ↑ Greenhill, Simon (2016). "TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea" . Retrieved 2020-11-05.
  12. 1 2 Marmion, Doug (2010). Topics in the Phonology and Morphology of Wutung (PDF). Canberra: Australian National University.
  13. 1 2 Donohue, Mark. Skou Dictionary Draft. Ms.
  14. ↑ Wichmann, Søren (2020). "The ASJP Database" . Retrieved 2021-01-20.
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