Asmat–Mombum languages

The Asmat–Muli Strait languages are a branch of the Trans–New Guinea languages spoken along the southern coast of Indonesian New Guinea, established by Timothy Usher and Edgar Suter.[1]

Asmat–Muli Strait
Geographic
distribution
New Guinea
Linguistic classificationTrans–New Guinea
  • Asmat–Muli Strait
Subdivisions
GlottologNone
Map: The Asmat-Muli Strait languages of New Guinea
  The Asmat–Kamrau Bay languages
  The Muli Strait languages
  Other Trans–New Guinea languages
  Other Papuan languages
  Austronesian languages
  Uninhabited

Protoforms of basic vocabulary include *moi 'water', *iafVnV 'ear', *uase 'name', *awoɣ 'breast'.[1]

Subdivision

Asmat–Muli Strait consists of two primary subgroups:[2]

Proto-language

Phonology

Proto-Asmat–Muli Strait is reconstructed with 12 consonants and 5 vowels:[1]

*m*n
*p*t*k
*(m)b*(n)d*(ŋ)g
*s
*w*j

Vowels are *a *e *i *o *u.

Basic vocabulary

Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:[1]

glossProto-Asmat-MuliProto-Asmat-KamrauProto-Muli Strait
head/hair *gVɸV*uɸu*ɣo̝p, *ɣo̝w
ear *iaɸVnV*iaɸ[a/o]ne*ie̝pær
nose/tip *mVnVgV*m[e/a]n[e]*mæne̝ɣ
tooth/sharp *sisV*sisV*-sir
blood *[i/e]sV*ese*ir
breast *awVgV*awo*abuɣ
louse *amV*amo*am
dog *iuwuɾi*juwuɾi*i[u]bui
pig *[o/u]ɸV*oɸo*up
egg *[o]k[a]*oka
sun *jau[a]*jawu*zaua
water *mVi*moi*mo̝i
name *uase*uwase*ur
eat *nV*nV*no̝ku

References

  1. New Guinea World, Asmat – Muli Strait
  2. Usher, Timothy; Suter, Edgar (2020). "The Asmat-Muli Languages of Southwestern New Guinea" (PDF). Language & Linguistics in Melanesia. Port Moresby: Journal of the Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea. 38. ISSN 0023-1959.
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