Momuna | |
---|---|
Somahai | |
Native to | Indonesia |
Region | Papua province: western Asmat Regency and Yahukimo Regency |
Native speakers | 2,200 (1998–2000) [1] |
Dialects |
|
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | Either: mqf – Momuna mmb – Momina |
Glottolog | soma1242 |
ELP |
Momuna (Momina), also known as Somahai (Somage, Sumohai), is a Papuan language spoken in the highlands of Papua province, Indonesia.
Reimer notes two dialects, one on the Balim River and one on the Rekai. One of the differences is that when /u/ follows an /u/ or /o/ in the Balim dialect, it is /i/ in the Rekai dialect. Thus the ethnonym 'Momuna' is pronounced 'Momina' in Rekai dialect. [3]
The Somahai pronouns, singular *na, *ka, *mo, are typical of Trans–New Guinea languages. They were placed in the Central and South New Guinea branch of that family by Wurm. Ross could not locate enough evidence to classify them. Usher found them to be closest to the Mek languages, in the Central West New Guinea, which partially overlaps with Wurm's C&SNG.
The following basic vocabulary words of Momuna are from Voorhoeve (1975), [4] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database: [5] [6]
gloss | Momuna |
---|---|
head | toko |
hair | toko-ate |
eye | otu |
tooth | ija |
leg | i jo-ku |
louse | amega |
dog | kwoka |
pig | uwo |
egg | magisaga |
blood | janɨ |
bone | toko |
skin | ke |
tree | kwo |
man | mogo-mearu |
sun | ɨkɨ |
water | iŋga |
fire | kukwa |
stone | kɨ |
eat | nowa- |
Trans–New Guinea (TNG) is an extensive family of Papuan languages spoken in New Guinea and neighboring islands, perhaps the third-largest language family in the world by number of languages. The core of the family is considered to be established, but its boundaries and overall membership are uncertain. The languages are spoken by around 3 million people. There have been three main proposals as to its internal classification.
The Papuan languages are the non-Austronesian and non-Australian languages spoken on the western Pacific island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands, by around 4 million people. It is a strictly geographical grouping, and does not imply a genetic relationship. The concept of Papuan peoples as distinct from Austronesian-speaking Melanesians was first suggested and named by Sidney Herbert Ray in 1892.
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The Mairasi languages, also known as Etna Bay are a small independent family of Papuan languages in the classifications of Malcolm Ross and Timothy Usher, that had been part of Stephen Wurm's Trans–New Guinea proposal. They are named after Etna Bay, located in the southeastern corner of West Papua province, in Indonesia.
The Nimboran languages are a small family of Papuan languages, spoken in the Grime River watershed, that had been part of Stephen Wurm's Trans–New Guinea proposal. However, when proto-Nimboran pronouns are reconstructed (*genam "I" and kom or komot "thou"), they have little resemblance to the proto-TNG pronouns *na and *ga. Usher places them in a North Papuan stock that resembles Cowan's proposal.
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