Lower Sepik languages

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.

Lower Sepik
Nor–Pondo
Geographic
distribution
East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classificationa primary language family
Subdivisions
  • Nor
  • Pondo?
Glottologlowe1423

Classification

The original conception of the family, under the name Nor–Pondo, is as follows:

 Nor–Pondo 
 Nor family 

Murik (Nor)

Kopar

 Pondo family 

Chambri

Karawari (Tabriak), Yimas

Angoram (Pondo)

Malcolm Ross (2005) broke up the Nor branch (and thus renamed the family Lower Sepik) because Murik does not share the characteristic /p/s of the first- and second-person pronouns of Kopar and the Pondo languages, so the latter may form a group: Murik vs Kopar–Pondo. Ross classified Lower Sepik as one branch of a Ramu–Lower Sepik language family.

Foley (2005) tentatively proposes that Chambri and Angoram may be primary branches: Nor, Chambari, Karawari–Yimas, Angoram. Usher, following Foley, keeps Nor together and breaks up Pondo.[1] Neither accept the connection to Ramu.

Foley (2018) and Usher (2020)

Foley (2018) and Usher (2020) agree on the following classification.[2][3]

Lower Sepik family

Foley notes that Angoram appears to be closer to Murik–Kopar, and Chambri to Karawari–Yimas, but Foley (2018: 213) leaves them as separate branches pending further evidence.

Phonology

Except for Yimas-Karawari, Lower Sepik languages typically have the following six-vowel system.[4]

iu
eəo
a

Yimas-Karawari has only four vowels.[4]

iu
ə
a

Proto-language

Proto-Lower Sepik
Reconstruction ofLower Sepik languages

Pronouns

The pronouns reconstructed for the proto-language are,

Proto–Lower Sepik (Ross)
I*amawe two*ka-i, *ka-piawe few*(p)a-ŋk-i-twe all*a-i, *a-pia, *i-pi
thou*nɨmiyou two*ka-u, *ka-puayou few*(p)a-ŋk-u-tyou all*a-u, *a-pu, *i-pu(a)
s/he*mɨnthey two*mɨnɨmp ? (M),
*mpɨ ? (F)
they few*mɨŋkɨ-tthey all*mump (M),
*pum (F)
Proto-Nor–Pondo (Foley)
I*amawe two*ka-i, *ka-pa-iwe few*(pa)ŋk-itwe all*a-i, *a-pa-i, *(y)i-i, *(y)i-pa-i
thou*miyou two*ka-u, *ka-pa-uyou few*(pa)ŋk-utyou all*a-u, *a-pa-u, *(y)i-u, *(y)i-pa-u
s/he*mənthey two?they few*mɨŋkɨthey all*mump ?

Lexicon

A phonological reconstruction of proto-Lower Sepik has been proposed by Foley (2005).[4] Foley's (2005) lexical reconstructions are provided below.

Proto-Lower Sepik reconstructions by Foley (2005)
glossproto-Lower SepikYimasKarawiChambriAngrmMurikKopar
one*mb(w)ia-mpa-mba-mbwia-mbia-abembatep
two*ri-pa--rpalripay-ri-(lɨ)parkobokombari
three*-ram-ramnaw-rianmaw-ram-elɨmkeroŋgokeremɨŋ
person*nornar-maŋyarmasɨnarnoranannornor
male*ponpanmalpanmaripondopuin
woman*ŋayŋayasaykayenuŋorŋainana
water*arɨmarɨmarɨmarɨmalɨmarɨmarɨm
fire*awrawtawiayɨraluŋawrawr
suntɨmalsɨmarisɨnmarimbwinoakɨnakɨn
moon*m(w)il ?mɨlatuŋkwimwɨlmɨlekarewankarep
starawaksuŋkwiɲcirimsuŋgwiareɲjomoaikinaŋ
canoe*kaykaykaykekegainkain
housenamyamkurɨrnamiranindan
village*numnumimuŋkanumnumnomotnumot
breast*nɨŋgaynɨŋayɲjaynɨŋkeŋgeniŋgenniŋgin
tooth*sisiŋk ?tɨrɨŋsɨsɨŋsraŋksisiŋasarapasirap
blood*ya-yatyayyariayakoneyaranyuwaran
bone*sariŋamptanɨmtanɨmanampsalɨŋsariŋib̩sarekimp
tongue*minɨŋmɨɲɨŋmumɨɲɨŋtɨbulaniŋkmɨnɨŋmenɨŋmimiŋ
eye*tambrituŋkuruŋsampɨssɨsiŋktamblinabrinnambrin
nosetɨkayipunwambusunaŋɨmdaurimbot
leg*namuŋkpamuŋpamuŋnamaŋknamuŋnamɨŋ
hairwapwiwampiyawimbwikmaleydwarruar
ear*kwand-kwantumuŋkwandukaskukunamkwandumkarekepkundot
egg*awŋawŋyawŋawŋkawŋgaugawŋ
leaf*nɨmprampnɨmprɨmyimprɨmnɨmprampnamblumnabirɨknɨmbiraŋ
yesterday / tomorrow*ŋarɨŋŋarɨŋarɨŋnamasɨnɨŋnakɨmɨnŋarɨŋrari
oar*(mɨ)naŋmuraŋmɨnaŋnaŋkinapinaŋnaŋ
betelnut*poruŋpatnpaynmuntɨkɨnparɨŋporogpuruŋ
lime*awi(r)awiasayɨrawerairair
pig*numprannumpranimpiannumpranimbarnɨmbrennɨmbren
crocodilemanpamanpoayiwalamioramenuri
snake*wakɨnwakɨnwakɨnwanparuŋwakɨnikun
mosquito*naŋgunnaŋkunyaŋkunnaŋgunwawarɨnnauknangɨt
ground*andiantiantinɨŋkrumpandiaginandin
feces*mɨndimɨlɨmmɨntimuɲjarmɨndimɨndɨnmɨndɨ
hear*and-andɨanduandɨandɨdɨnnda
hit*ditupulkurardɨɨtidinɨŋ
eat*am(b)am(b)am(b)am(b)am(b)mɨnma
go*wawakuriakalwaonwa
come*yayakurapiayayayaya
sit*sataysandasanda
big*kupakɨpakupawupakupaapokapu
cold*sarV-tarɨksarɨksarukpopantsarapakin

For comparisons with the language isolate Tayap, see Tayap language#Classification.

Footnotes

  1. NewGuineaWorld - Lower Sepik River
  2. 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. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 197–432. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
  3. Lower Sepik River, New Guinea World
  4. Foley, William A. (2005). "Linguistic prehistory in the Sepik-Ramu basin". In Andrew Pawley; Robert Attenborough; Robin Hide; Jack Golson (eds.). Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. 109–144. ISBN 0858835622. OCLC 67292782.

Further reading

  • Proto-Lower-Sepik. TransNewGuinea.org. From (1) Foley, W.A. 1986. The Papuan languages of New Guinea, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ; (2) Foley, W.A. 1986. The Papuan languages of New Guinea, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Abbott, S. "Nor-Pondo lexicostatistical survey". In Adams, K., Lauck, L., Miedema, J., Welling, F., Stokhof, W., Flassy, D., Oguri, H., Collier, K., Gregerson, K., Phinnemore, T., Scorza, D., Davies, J., Comrie, B. and Abbott, S. editors, Papers in New Guinea Linguistics No. 22. A-63:313-338. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1985. doi:10.15144/PL-A63.313

References

  • Ross, Malcolm (2005). "Pronouns as a preliminary diagnostic for grouping Papuan languages". In Andrew Pawley; Robert Attenborough; Robin Hide; Jack Golson (eds.). Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. 15–66. ISBN 0858835622. OCLC 67292782.
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