Dem language explained
Dem language should not be confused with Kaba Dem language.
| Dem |
| Nativename: | Lem |
| Region: | Papua Western highlands along Rouffaer River headwaters
|
| Speakers: | 1,000 |
| Date: | 1987 |
| Ref: | e18 |
| Familycolor: | Papuan |
| Fam1: | Trans–New Guinea |
| Fam2: | West Papuan Highlands (Irian Highlands) |
| Fam3: | Amung–Dem |
| Iso3: | dem |
| Glotto: | demm1245 |
| Glottorefname: | Dem |
| Map: | Dem language.svg |
| Mapcaption: | Map: The Dem language of New Guinea |
Dem (Lem, Ndem) is a divergent Papuan language of West New Guinea. Although Palmer (2018) leaves it unclassified,[1] it was tentatively included in the Trans–New Guinea family in the classification of Malcolm Ross (2005), and Timothy Usher ties it most closely to Amung.[2]
Pronouns
The only pronouns which have been recorded are:
| singular | plural |
|---|
| 1st person | nau | yu |
|---|
| 2nd person | aŋ | |
|---|
Vocabulary
The following basic vocabulary words are from Voorhoeve (1975),[3] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:[4]
| gloss | Dem |
|---|
| head | yagabuak |
| hair | ari; yakuli |
| eye | eŋgio |
| tooth | yavkasa |
| leg | abuo |
| louse | nduu |
| dog | kwa |
| pig | uwam; uwom |
| bird | bela |
| egg | au; onde |
| blood | miet |
| skin | aran; asi |
| tree | niye |
| man | ŋo |
| sun | uweməja |
| water | da; yat |
| fire | kunu |
| stone | (da)ŋat |
| name | aluŋ; gago |
| eat | nenawe |
| one | yagaŋ |
| two | ugwaŋ | |
Further reading
- Word lists
- de Bruijn, J. V. 1941. Verslag van een Tocht naar Beura, het Stroomgebied van de Beurong en Lelop, het Stroomgebiet van de Ielorong in Centraal Nieuw Guinea door den Controleur der Wisselmeren van 9 Juni 1941 tot 7 Augustus 1941 [Report of a Survey Trip to Beura, the Beurong and Lelop Watersheds, the Ielorong Watershed in Central New Guinea by the Wissel Lakes Administrator the 9th of June. 1941 to the 7th of August 1941]. Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Ministerie van Koloniën: Kantoor Bevolkingszaken Nieuw-Guinea te Hollandia: Rapportenarchief, 1950–1962, nummer toegang 2.10.25, inventarisnummer 256.
- Galis, Klaas Wilhelm. 1955. Talen en dialecten van Nederlands Nieuw-Guinea [Languages and dialects of Netherlands New Guinea]. Tijdschrift Nieuw-Guinea 16: 109–118, 134–145, 161–178.
- Larson, Gordon F. 1977. Reclassification of some Irian Jaya Highlands language families: A lexicostatistical cross-family subclassification with historical implications. Irian 6(2): 3–40.
- Le Roux, C. C. F. M. 1950. De Bergpapoea’s van Nieuw-Guinea en hun Woongebied [The Mountain Papuans of New Guinea and their Habitat], Vol 2. Leiden: E. J. Brill. (pages 852–862, 892–895)
- Voorhoeve, Clemens L. 1975. Languages of Irian Jaya, Checklist: Preliminary Classification, Language Maps, Wordlists. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
References
- Book: Palmer, Bill . Palmer . Bill . 2018 . The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide . Language families of the New Guinea Area . The World of Linguistics . 4 . Berlin . De Gruyter Mouton . 1–20 . 978-3-11-028642-7.
- https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/west-papuan-highlands NewGuineaWorld
- Voorhoeve, C.L. Languages of Irian Jaya: Checklist. Preliminary classification, language maps, wordlists. B-31, iv + 133 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1975.
- Web site: TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea . Greenhill . Simon . 2016. 2020-11-05.
