The Kiwaian languages form a language family of New Guinea. They are a dialect cluster of half a dozen closely related languages.[1] They are grammatically divergent from the Trans–New Guinea languages, and typically have singular, dual, trial, and plural pronouns.[2]
| Kiwaian | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Papua New Guinea |
| Linguistic classification | a primary language family |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | kiwa1251 |
 Map: The Kiwaian languages of New Guinea
The Kiwaian languages
Trans–New Guinea languages
Other Papuan languages
Austronesian languages
Uninhabited | |
Classification
editThe Trans–New Guinea identity of Kiwaiian is supported by a relatively large number of basic lexical items. Ross (2005) tentatively linked Kiwaiian to the erstwhile language isolate Porome. However, the evidence is only two pronouns, and the connection has not been accepted by other researchers.
Languages
editKiwaian languages and respective demographic information listed by Evans (2018) are provided below.[3]
List of Kiwaian languages Language Location Population Alternate names Southern Kiwai Kiwai Rural LLG 20,000 Island Kiwai Wabuda Kiwai Rural LLG 2,750 Bamu south Bamu Rural LLG 6,310 Northeast Kiwai West Kikori Rural LLG 6,000 Urama Kerewo West Kikori Rural LLG 1,090 Morigi West Kikori Rural LLG ?
Proto-language
editPhonemes
editUsher (2020) reconstructs the consonant inventory as follows:[4]
*m *n *p *t *s *k *b *d *g *w *ɾ
*i *u *e *o *a
Pronouns
editUsher (2020) reconstructs the pronouns as,[4]
sg pl 1 *mo *nimo 2 *oɾo *nigo 3 ? *nei
Basic vocabulary
editSome lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:[4]
gloss Proto-Kiwai head/hair *kepuɾu hair/feather *mus[ua] ear *gaɾe eye *idomaɾi nose *wodi tooth *ibo(-nVɾV) tongue *uototoɾo[p/b]e leg/foot *sakiɾo blood *kaɾima; *sa[w]i bone *soɾo skin/bark *tama breast *amo louse *nimo dog *[k]umu bird *wowogo egg/fruit *kikopu tree *nuk₂a; *kota man/male *dubu woman *oɾobo; *upi sun/day *saɾik₂i; *si[w]io moon *sagomi; *owe water *kobo fire *keɾa stone *(nok₂oɾa-)kopi path *gabo name *paini, *paina eat/drink *oɾuso (sg.), *iɾiso (pl.) one *nak[o/u] two *netoa
Evolution
editKiwaian reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma are:[2]
Southern Kiwai language:
- magota ‘mouth’ < *maŋgat[a]
- amo ‘breast < *amu
- gare ‘ear’ < *kand(e,i)k(V]
- pitu ‘fingernail’ < *mb(i,u)t(i,u)[C]
- baba ‘father’ < *mbapa
- sagana ‘moon’ < *takVn[V]
- tuwo ‘ashes’ < *sumbu
- era ‘tree’ < *inda
- nimo ‘louse’ < *niman
- epuru ‘head’ < *kV(mb,p)utu
- kopu ‘short’ < *kutu(p,mb)a
- abida ‘sister’ < *pi(n,nd)a
Other languages:
References
edit- ^ "Kiwai - newguineaworld".
- ^ a b Pawley, Andrew; Hammarström, Harald (2018). "The Trans New Guinea family". 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. 21–196. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
- ^ Evans, Nicholas (2018). "The languages of Southern 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. 641–774. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
- ^ a b c New Guinea World, Kiwai
Further reading
edit- Wurm, S.A. "The Kiwaian Language Family". In Franklin, K. editor, The linguistic situation in the Gulf District and adjacent areas, Papua New Guinea. C-26:217-260. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1973. doi:10.15144/PL-C26.21
- Wurm, Stefan. 1951. Studies in the Kiwai Languages, Fly Delta, Papua, New Guinea. Wien: Herold.
External links
edit- Timothy Usher, New Guinea World, Proto-Kiwai