Torricelli languages

Last updated
Torricelli
Torricelli Range – Sepik Coast
Geographic
distribution		 Torricelli Range and coast, northern Papua New Guinea (East Sepik, Sandaun, and Madang provinces)
Linguistic classification One of the world's primary language families
Subdivisions
Glottolog nucl1708  (Nuclear Torricelli)
Torricelli languages map.svg
The Torricelli languages as classified by Foley (2018)

The Torricelli languages are a family of about fifty languages of the northern Papua New Guinea coast, spoken by about 80,000 people. They are named after the Torricelli Mountains. The most populous and best known Torricelli language is Arapesh, with about 30,000 speakers.

Contents

They are not clearly related to other Papuan language families; however, attempts have been made to establish external links. [1] The most promising[ clarification needed ] external relationship for the Torricelli family is the Sepik languages. (In reconstructions of both families, the pronouns have a plural suffix *-m and a dual suffix *-p.)

C.L. Voorhoeve (1987) has proposed that they are related to the North Halmahera languages and most of the languages of the Bird’s Head Peninsula, thus forming the easternmost extension of the postulated West Papuan family. [2]

History

The Torricelli languages occupy three geographically separated areas, evidently separated by later migrations of Sepik-language speakers several centuries ago. Foley considers the Torricelli languages to be autochthonous to the Torricelli Mountains and nearby surrounding areas, having been resident in the region for at least several millennia. The current distribution of Lower Sepik-Ramu and Sepik (especially Ndu) reflects later migrations from the south and the east. [3] Foley notes that the Lower Sepik and Ndu groups have lower internal diversity comparable to that of the Germanic and Romance languages, while internal diversity within the Torricelli family is considerably higher.

Typological overview

Syntax

The Torricelli languages are unusual among Papuan languages in having a basic clause order of SVO (subject–verb–object). (In contrast, most Papuan languages have SOV order.) It was previously believed that the Torricelli word order was a result of contact with Austronesian languages, but Donohue (2005) believes it is more likely that SVO order was present in the Torricelli proto-language. [4]

Torricelli languages display many typological features that are direct opposites of features typical in the much more widespread Trans-New Guinea languages. [5]

However, Bogia and Marienberg languages have SOV word order and postpositions, likely as a result of convergence with Lower Sepik-Ramu and Sepik languages, which are predominantly SOV. [5]

Torricelli languages also lack clause chaining constructions, and therefore have no true conjunctions or clause-linking affixes. [5] Clauses are often simply juxtaposed.

Nouns

In Torricelli and Lower Sepik-Ramu languages, phonological properties of nouns can even determine gender. [5]

Like in the Yuat and Lower Sepik-Ramu languages, nouns in Torricelli languages are inflected for number, which is a typological feature not generally found in the Trans–New Guinea, Sepik, Lakes Plain, West Papuan, Alor–Pantar, and Tor–Kwerba language families. [6]

Classification

Wilhelm Schmidt linked the Wapei and Monumbo branches, and the coastal western and eastern extremes of the family, in 1905. The family was more fully established by David Laycock in 1965. Most recently, Ross broke up Laycock and Z’graggen's (1975) Kombio branch, placing the Kombio language in the Palei branch and leaving Wom as on its own, with the other languages (Eitiep, Torricelli (Lou), Yambes, Aruek) unclassified due to lack of data. Usher tentatively separates Monumbo, Marienberg, and the Taiap (Gapun) language from the rest of the family in a 'Sepik Coast' branch. [7]

Foley (2018)

Foley (2018) provides the following classification. [3]

Foley rejects Laycock's (1975) Kombio-Arapeshan grouping, instead splitting up into the Arapesh and Urim groups.

Glottolog v4.8

Glottolog v4.8 presents the following classification for the "Nuclear Torricelli" languages: [8]

In addition, Hammarström et al. do not accept the placement of the Bogia languages within Torricelli, stating that "no evidence [for this] was ever presented". [9]

Pronouns

The pronouns Ross (2005) reconstructs for proto-Torricelli are

singularproto-Torricellidualproto-Torricellipluralproto-Torricelli
I*kiwe two*ku-pwe*ku-m, *əpə
thou*yi, *tiyou two*ki-pyou*ki-m, *ipa
he*ətə-n, *nithey two (M)*ma-kthey (M)*ətə-m, *ma, *apa-
she*ətə-k, *kuthey two (F)*kwa-kthey (F)*ətə-l

Foley (2018) reconstructs the independent personal pronouns *ki ‘I’ and *(y)i ‘thou’, and *(y)ip ‘you (pl)’. Foley considers the second-person pronouns to be strong diagnostics for determining membership in the Torricelli family.

Foley (2018) reconstructs the following subject agreement prefixes for proto-Torricelli. [3]

sgpl
1*k-
2
3m*n-*m-
3f*w-

Cognate sets

A cognate set for 'louse' in Torricelli languages as compiled by Dryer (2022): [10]

Language (group)louse
Marienberg nəmi, ɲumo, ɲɛm, ɲimi
Central Wapei nəmk, nəmeiləm, nimim
East Wapei nəmaŋgar, namkar
Wanap ɲiməl
Urat ŋumbu
Kombio ɲumək, niumukn, ɲumukŋun
Arapeshan numunəl, nəmaŋgof
Wom numulɛ
West Palei ɲmulol
Urim nmin
Maimai yomata
East Palei ymunə, ymul
West Wapei muni, moni, munola

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arapesh languages</span> Group of Torricelli languages of Papua New Guinea

The Arapesh languages are several closely related Torricelli languages of the 32,000 Arapesh people of Papua New Guinea. They are spoken in eastern Sandaun Province and northern East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.

The Ramu–Lower Sepika.k.a.Lower Sepik–Ramu languages are a proposed family of about 35 Papuan languages spoken in the Ramu and Sepik river basins of northern Papua New Guinea. These languages tend to have simple phonologies, with few consonants or vowels and usually no tones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sepik languages</span> Papuan language family

The Sepik or Sepik River languages are a family of some 50 Papuan languages spoken in the Sepik river basin of northern Papua New Guinea, proposed by Donald Laycock in 1965 in a somewhat more limited form than presented here. They tend to have simple phonologies, with few consonants or vowels and usually no tones.

Amal is a language spoken along the border of Sandaun Province and East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, along the Wagana River near the confluence with Wanibe Creek. Foley (2018) classifies Amal as a primary branch of the Sepik languages, though it is quite close to Kalou.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Sepik languages</span> Language family of Papua New Guinea

The Lower Sepik a.k.a. Nor–Pondo languages are a small language family of East Sepik Province in northern Papua New Guinea. They were identified as a family by K Laumann in 1951 under the name Nor–Pondo, and included in Donald Laycock's now-defunct 1973 Sepik–Ramu family.

The Ramu languages are a family of some thirty languages of Northern Papua New Guinea. They were identified as a family by John Z'graggen in 1971 and linked with the Sepik languages by Donald Laycock two years later. Malcolm Ross (2005) classifies them as one branch of a Ramu – Lower Sepik language family. Z'graggen had included the Yuat languages, but that now seems doubtful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maimai languages</span> Branch of the Torricelli language family

The Maimai languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family. They are spoken just to the west of Nuku town in eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palei languages</span>

The Palei languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family according to Laycock (1975). They are spoken in mountainous regions of eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wapei languages</span>

The Wapei languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family according to Laycock (1975). Glottolog does not accept this grouping. They are spoken in mountainous regions of eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monumbo languages</span>

The Monumbo or Bogia Bay languages are a cluster of closely related languages that constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family. They are spoken in a few coastal villages around Bogia Bay of Bogia District, Madang Province in Papua New Guinea. Unlike all other Torricelli branches except for the Marienberg languages, word order in the Bogia languages is SOV, likely due to contact with Lower Sepik-Ramu and Sepik languages.

The Grass languages are a group of languages in the Ramu language family. It is accepted by Foley (2018), but not by Glottolog. They are spoken in East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, with a small number of speakers also located just across the provincial border in Madang Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ram languages</span> Language family spoken in Papua New Guinea

The Ram languages are a small group of 3 languages spoken in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea. They are spoken directly to the northeast of the Yellow River languages and directly to the south of the Wapei languages, both of which are also Sepik groups. Ram is the word for 'man' in the languages that make up this group.

The Nukuma languages are a small family of three clearly related languages:

The Mongol–Langam, Koam, or Ulmapo languages are a language group of Keram Rural LLG, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea belonging to the Ramu language family. Foley (2018) includes them within the Grass languages, but they were not included in Foley (2005).

Mufian, or Southern Arapesh, is an Arapesh language (Torricelli) of Papua New Guinea. Dialects are Supari, Balif, Filifita (Ilahita), Iwam-Nagalemb, Nagipaem; Filifita speakers are half the population, at 6,000 in 1999. It is spoken in 36 villages, most of which are located within Bumbita-Muhian Rural LLG, East Sepik Province. It is also spoken in Supari ward of Albiges-Mablep Rural LLG.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marienberg languages</span> Torricelli language branch of Papua New Guinea

The Marienberg or Marienberg Hills languages are a branch of the Torricelli language family. They are spoken in a mountainous stretch of region located between the towns of Wewak and Angoram in the Marienberg Hills of East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.

The Kombio-Arapeshan languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family according to Laycock (1975), but this is doubted by Foley (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wapei–Palei languages</span> Branch of the Torricelli language family

The Wapei–Palei languages are spoken in mountainous regions of eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea. The Wapei languages and Palei languages together constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family according to Laycock (1975).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One languages</span> Torricelli language branch of Papua New Guinea

The One or West Wapei languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family. They are spoken in north-central Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urim languages</span> Branch of the Torricelli language family

The Urim languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family. They are spoken in East Sepik Province, in areas bordering the northeastern corner of Sandaun Province.

References

  1. ↑ Wurm, Stephen A. (2007). "Australasia and the Pacific". In Moseley, Christopher (ed.). Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages. Abingdon–New York: Routledge. pp. 425–577. doi:10.4324/9780203645659. ISBN   9780203645659.
  2. ↑ Voorhoeve, C.L. (1987). "Worming one's way through New Guinea : The chase of the peripatetic pronouns". In Laycock, Donald L.; Winter, Werner (eds.). A world of language: papers presented to Professor S.A. Wurm on his 65th birthday. Pacific Linguistics C-100. Canberra: Department of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University. pp. 709–727. ISBN   0-85883-357-3.
  3. 1 2 3 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.
  4. ↑ Donohue 2005.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Foley, Bill. 2005. Papuan languages, as written for the International Encyclopedia of Linguistics 2003.
  6. ↑ Foley, William A. (2018). "The morphosyntactic typology of Papuan languages". 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. 895–938. ISBN   978-3-11-028642-7.
  7. ↑ "Sepik Coast - newguineaworld".
  8. ↑ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian (2023-07-10). "Glottolog 4.8 - Nuclear Torricelli". Glottolog . Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.7398962 . Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  9. ↑ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian (2023-07-10). "Glottolog 4.8 - Bogia". Glottolog . Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.7398962 . Archived from the original on 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  10. ↑ Dryer, Matthew S. (2022). Trans-New Guinea IV.2: Evaluating Membership in Trans-New Guinea.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.