Asmat languages
Asmat is a Papuan language cluster of West New Guinea.
| Asmat | |
|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Asmat, Citak |
| Geographic distribution | West Papua |
| Linguistic classification | Trans–New Guinea
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Glottolog | asma1257 |
Languages
The principal varieties, distinct enough to be considered separate languages, are:[1]
- Kamrau Bay (Sabakor):[2]
- Casuarina Coast (Kaweinag), the most divergent
- North and Central Asmat
- Citak (Kaünak)
- North Asmat
- Central Asmat (dialects: Keenok, Sokoni, Keenakap, Kawenak)
Ethnically, speakers are either Asmat or Citak.
Evolution
Below are some reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea proposed by Pawley (2012):[3]
| proto-Trans-New Guinea | Asmat (Flamingo Bay) |
|---|---|
| *maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’ | me |
| *(m,mb)elak ‘light, lightning’ | mer |
| *niman ‘louse’ | (Kamoro namo) |
| *na- ‘eat’ | na- |
| *ni, *nu ‘IPL’ | na ‘1PL.incl’, na(r) ‘1PL.excl’ |
| *mun(a,i,u)ka ‘egg’ | manaka |
| *niman ‘louse’ | (cf. Kamoro namo) |
| *kasin ‘mosquito’ | isi |
| *mbena ‘arm’ | man [ban] |
| *mb(i,u)t(i,u)C ‘fingernail’ | fit |
| *imbi ‘name’ | yipi |
| *si(mb,p)at[V] ‘saliva’ | (me)sep |
| *(mb,p)ututu- ‘to fly’ | (?) pimedial |
| *kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’ | kuwus |
| *inda ‘fire’ | (Central Coast Asmat isi) |
| *tututu[ku] ‘straight’ | toror |
| *k(i,u)tuma ‘night, morning’ | iram |
| *tututu[ku] ‘straight’ | toror |
| *ti, *titi ‘tooth’ | ji |
| *ata ‘excrement’ | asa |
| *(ŋg,k)atata ‘dry’ | soso |
| *kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’ | kuwus |
| *kasin ‘mosquito’ | (Citak Asmat isi) |
| *inda ‘fire’ | (Central Coast Asmat isi) |
| *ke(nj,s)a ‘blood’ | es |
| *maŋgV ‘compact round object’ | moko-per ‘navel’ |
| *mun(a,i,u)ka ‘egg’ | manaka |
| *ke(nj,s)a ‘blood’ | es |
| *kasin ‘mosquito’ | (Central Asmat isi) |
| *k(i,u)tuma ‘night, morning’ | yiram |
| *kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’ | kuwus |
| *(m,mb)elak ‘light, lightning’ | (Flamingo Bay Asmat mer ‘lightning’) |
| *ya ‘3SG’ | a |
Verbs
In Flamingo Bay Asmat, light verbs are combined with adjuncts to form predicative expressions.[4]
- e- ‘do’
- atow e- /play do/ ‘play’
- caj e- /copulate do/ ‘copulate’
- yan e- /ear do/ ‘listen’
- yi- ‘say’
- po yi- /paddle say/ ‘paddle’
- yan yi- /ear say/ ‘hear’
- mesa yi- /saliva say/ ‘spit’
- af- ‘hit’
- yaki af- /sneeze hit/ ‘sneeze’
- namir af- /death hit/ ‘die’
- omop af- /blow hit/ ‘beat’
References
- 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.
- New Guinea World, Kamrau Bay
- Pawley, Andrew (2012). Hammarström, Harald; van den Heuvel, Wilco (eds.). "How reconstructable is proto Trans New Guinea? Problems, progress, prospects". History, Contact and Classification of Papuan Languages. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea: Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea (Language & Linguistics in Melanesia Special Issue 2012: Part I): 88–164. hdl:1885/38602. ISSN 0023-1959.
- 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. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 895–938. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
External links
- PARADISEC archive of Asmat language recordings
- Asmat. New Guinea World.
- Kamrau Bay. New Guinea World.
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