Apali language explained

Apalɨ
Also Known As:	Emerum
Nativename:	Munga
States:	Papua New Guinea
Region:	Madang Province
Speakers:	980
Date:	2003
Ref:	e18
Familycolor:	Papuan
Fam1:	Trans–New Guinea
Fam2:	Madang
Fam3:	Southern Adelbert
Fam4:	Sogeram
Fam5:	Central
Iso3:	ena
Glotto:	apal1256
Glottorefname:	Apali

Apalɨ (Apal), or Emerum, is a Papuan language of Madang Province, Papua New Guinea. Akɨ and Acɨ are two dialects that are quite different from each other.

Phonology

Vowels

Apalɨ vowels^[1] !! Front! Central! Back
Close	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Mid	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Open		pronounced as /link/

Evolution

Below are some reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea proposed by Pawley (2012).^[2]

Sources abbreviations

(W) = Wade (n.d.), Akɨ dialect^[3]
(Z) = Z’graggen (1980), Acɨ dialect^[4]

	Apalɨ
maŋgV ‘compact round object’	maŋgɨ ‘egg’
mapVn ‘liver’	mapɨn
maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’	mɨka
mVkVm ‘jaw’	mukum
(m,mb)elak ‘light, lightning’	(Osum and Paynamar mira, Moresada merak)
kumV- ‘die’	kɨm-
k(o,u)ma(n,ŋ)[V] ‘neck, nape’	(sa)kum ‘nape’
iman ‘louse’	iman
na- ‘eat’	n
pMadang *na ‘ free pronoun’	nama (cf. also na- ‘ ’)
pMadang *nu ‘ free pronoun’	numbu (cf. also nu- ‘ ’)
nVŋg- ‘know, hear, see’	iŋg- (some other S Adelbert languages have niŋg-)
kambena ‘arm’	human
kin(i,u)- ‘sleep’	(?) hɨni- ‘be, stay, exist’
[w]ani ‘who?’	ani
(s,nd)umu(n,t)[V] ‘hair’	(?) mɨnɨ
mapVn ‘liver’	maßɨn
iman ‘louse’	iman
takVn[V] ‘moon’	(Acɨ dial.) takun (Z), (Akɨ dial.) lakun (W)
sa(ŋg,k)asiŋ ‘sand’	kasɨŋ (Z)
mb(i,u)t(i,u)C ‘fingernail’	tɨpi (metath.) (Z)
imbi ‘name’	imbi (W)
[ka]tumba(C) ‘short’	tɨmbɨ (W)
si(mb,p)at[V] ‘saliva’	sɨmbu ‘spit’
simbil[VC] ‘navel’	(Akɨ) simbilɨm, (Acɨ) cimbilɨm ‘placenta, navel, umbilical cord’ (W)
si(m,mb)(i,u) + modifier ‘buttocks’	susum ‘lower buttocks’
kambena ‘arm, forearm’	human (W)
mapVn ‘liver’	maβɨn (W)
apa ‘father’	iaβaŋ (W)
apus[i]‘grandparent’	aβe ‘grandmother’
apa(pa)ta ‘butterfly’	(?) afafaŋ (Z)
ka(nd,t)(e,i)kV ‘ear’	hinji (W)
kindil ‘root’	hɨnjɨlɨ (W)
[ka]tumba(C) ‘short’	tɨmbɨ (W, Z)
takVn[V] ‘moon’	(Acɨ dial.) takun (Z)
takVn[V] ‘moon’	lakun (W)
kumut, *tumuk ‘thunder’	lɨmbɨ(lami) ‘to thunder’
mb(i,u)t(i,u)C ‘fingernail’	tɨpi (metath.) (Z)
kit(i,u) ‘leg’	gɨtɨ (Z)
kutV(mb,p)(a,u)[C] ‘long’	(Akɨ) hutaŋ (W), (Acɨ) kutes (Z)
si(mb,p)at[V] ‘saliva’	sɨmbu ‘spit’
maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’	mɨka (W)
si(mb,p)at[V] ‘saliva’	sɨmbu ‘spit’
simb(i,u) ‘guts’	su ‘faeces’
simbil[VC] ‘navel’	(Akɨ) simbilɨm, (Acɨ) cimbilɨm (both W)
si(m,mb)(i,u) + modifier ‘buttocks’	susum (W)
sa(ŋg,k)asiŋ ‘sand’	kasɨŋ (Z)
maŋgV ‘compact round object’	maŋgɨ ‘egg’
nVŋg- ‘know, hear, see’	i ŋg- ‘see’
maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’	mɨka (W)
kumV- ‘die’	kɨm- ‘die’
k(o,u)ma(n,ŋ)[V] ‘neck, nape’	(sa)kum ‘nape’
kambena ‘arm’	human (W)
kindil ‘root’	hɨnjɨlɨ (W) (cf. gɨndrɨ ‘root’
ka(nd,t)(e,i)kV ‘ear’	hɨnji (W)
kin(i,u)- ‘sleep, lie down’	hɨni- ‘be, stay, exist’
kutV(mb,p)(a,u)[C] ‘long’	hutaŋ (W)
kumV- ‘die’	hɨmi- (W)
kit(i,u) ‘leg’	gɨtɨ (Z)
mVkVm ‘cheek’	(Acɨ) mukum (W), Akɨ mɨhum (W)
takVn[V] ‘moon’	lakun (W)
ka(nd,t)(e,i)kV ‘ear’	hɨnji (W)
tumuk ‘to thunder’	(?) lɨmbɨ(lami) (W)
kindil ‘root’	hɨndɨlɨ (W) (Z. gives gundru)

Notes and References

A Reconstruction of Proto-Sogeram. June 2015. Alexandria Digital Research Library. Don Roger. Daniels. 84–85.
Pawley . Andrew . Andrew Pawley . 2012 . History, Contact and Classification of Papuan Languages . Language & Linguistics in Melanesia Special Issue 2012: Part I . 0023-1959 . Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea . Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea . Hammarström . Harald . van den Heuvel . Wilco . How reconstructable is proto Trans New Guinea? Problems, progress, prospects . 88–164. 1885/38602 .
Wade, Martha. n.d. Dictionary of the Apalɨ language. Printout. Madang: Pioneer Bible Translators.
Z’graggen, John A. 1980. A comparative word list of the Southern Adelbert Range languages, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.