South Pauwasi languages

Last updated
South Pauwasi
Yetfa – South Pauwasi River
Geographic
distribution
Papua: Pegunungan Bintang Regency
Linguistic classification Pauwasi
  • South Pauwasi
Subdivisions
Glottolog None

The South Pauwasi languages are a likely small language family of New Guinea, potentially consisting of Yetfa, Kimki, Lepki, Murkim and Kembra. [1]

Contents

Classification

Usher (2020) classifies the languages as follows, [1]

Yetfa – South Pauwasi River

The relationship of the five languages was recognized in the early 2000s as Paul Whitehouse assembled unpublished data from the Summer Institute of Linguistics. Usher classifies them as a branch of the Pauwasi language family. [1] Søren Wichmann (2013) agrees that Murkim and Lepki at least appear to be very closely related. [2] Foley (2018) accepts that Kembra, which is very poorly attested, may be related as well. [3]

Cognates

Some cognates connecting the languages are as follows. There are also loanwords in common with Pyu. [1]

South Pauwasi cognates
glossYetfaKimkiKembraLepkiMurkim
waterket, keldierkɛlkel
twokaiskaisikais
headanokno-tɛlanok
leafbwaitʰ (?)-βaibwaik
skin/barkit-'bajitjaitʰ
wormbriɸbrɛpbreɸ
louse(n)jim-nimnimnɪmɪm
hairitʰ-jetjɛt
earbwabwibwi
eyeɛ̃jijɛ-mɔn
coconutwas-wæjswais-
speechmamimi-mi
knifetematmatə̆'matma
canoekufõːpkuβkuɸ
shitɲanain-ɲanjah ~ iãh
personap ~ aɸrá-raɸra
eggnela-lĕldɛlnel
fire/woodjao (tree)jajo ~ ja-
housenammeːnimmi
laughmamla-mwel-omwalo
thissisisi
cloudkoskos-kos-
tonguearbakbrawprouk
tailnókwajoukjakʷat~ɲakʷat
whitedol-lol
faruje~udʒew̆ijɛwije~uje-
come-ki-guj-kʷi
1plnamenakme
2plsamesakme-re

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 New Guinea World, South Pauwasi River
  2. 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.
  3. 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.