Kayagar languages explained

Kayagar
Also Known As:Cook River
Region:South Papua
Familycolor:Papuan
Fam1:Trans–New Guinea
Fam2:Kayagar–Kolopom
Glotto:kaya1327
Glottorefname:Kayagaric
Map:Kayagar languages.svg
Mapcaption:Map: The Kayagar languages of New Guinea

The Kayagar languages are a small family of four closely related Trans–New Guinea languages spoken around the Cook River in Province of South Papua, Indonesia:[1]

Proto-language

Pronouns

Usher (2020) reconstructs the pronouns as:[1] [2]

Gondu RiverAtohwaim
sgplsgpl
1
  • nax
  • nep
naxa nipi, neβi
2
  • ax
  • akan
axa aʔani
3
  • ek
  • wep

Basic vocabulary

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

gloss Proto-Gondu River
head
  • toxom
hair
  • upm
ear
  • itipaːm
eye
  • sakam
nose
  • jup
tooth
  • o[x/ɣ]om
tongue
  • maetap
foot/leg
  • apit
blood
  • jes
bone
  • nomop
skin/bark
  • pip
breast
  • etum
louse
  • num
dog
  • epe
pig
  • wakum
bird
  • suopam
egg
  • map-jaxam
tree/wood
  • wom
man/person
  • jo[k]
woman
  • enop
sun
  • taːm
moon
  • xa[x/ɣ]atam
water
  • o[x/ɣ]om
fire
  • atu
stone
  • maitn
path
  • kamein
name
  • na[k]
eat
  • xapti
one
  • pa[x/ɣ]amo[x/k]
two
  • tousiki

Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from McElhanon & Voorhoeve (1970)[3] and Voorhoeve (1971, 1975),[4] [5] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.[6]

The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. tikem, toxom for “head”) or not (e.g. icoxop, iripam for “ear”).

gloss Tamagario
headtikem toxom tokom
hairupm owpm upm
earicoxop iripam ipiram
eyesaam saxam sakam
noseopom jup jup
toothukoxom oxom ukom
tonguemenaxaram marap marap
legapir apir apir
lousenumu soːm
dogupoc epere; epe(re) epe
pigwakum wakum wakum
birdwakem səpam towpam
eggmapiam mapiaxam mapiakam
bloodwis jes; yes jet; yet
bonenömöp namop; nəmop nomop
skinpiep pip pip
breastötöm erem
treewim wom wom
manmapirie jo; yo jo; yo
womanenepe onop onop
sunteme taam taam
moonkaʔaram xaxaram kakaram
wateroxom oxom okom
fireacu aru aru
stoneiki kakup maitu
road, pathsepmop xami kame
eatowp xapri kapri
onepapriaxap paxamu pakamok
twocoopm tosigi totigi

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/cook-river-kolopom/cook-river New Guinea World, Gondu River
  2. https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/cook-river-kolopom/cook-river/atohwaim New Guinea World, Atohwaim
  3. McElhanon, K.A. and Voorhoeve, C.L. The Trans-New Guinea Phylum: Explorations in deep-level genetic relationships. B-16, vi + 112 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1970.
  4. Voorhoeve, C.L. "Miscellaneous Notes on Languages in West Irian, New Guinea". In Dutton, T., Voorhoeve, C. and Wurm, S.A. editors, Papers in New Guinea Linguistics No. 14. A-28:47-114. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1971.
  5. 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.
  6. Web site: TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea . Greenhill . Simon . 2016. 2020-11-05.