Porome language should not be confused with Rumu language.
| Porome | |
| Nativename: | Kibiri |
| States: | Papua New Guinea |
| Region: | Gulf Province, Kikori District, near Aird Hills, on several tributaries of Kikori River, villages of Tipeowo, Doibo, Paile, Babaguina, Ero, and Wowa in southern Papua New Guinea |
| Coordinates: | -7.45°N 161°W |
| Date: | 2011 |
| Ref: | e18 |
| Familycolor: | Papuan |
| Family: | language isolate ? |
| Dia1: | Porome |
| Dia2: | Kibiri |
| Iso3: | prm |
| Glotto: | kibi1239 |
| Glottorefname: | Kibiri |
| Map: | Porome language.svg |
| Mapcaption: | Map: The Porome language of New Guinea |
Porome, also known as Kibiri, is a Papuan language of southern Papua New Guinea.
Porome was classified as a language isolate by Stephen Wurm. Although Malcolm Ross linked it to the Kiwaian languages, there is no evidence for a connection apart from the pronouns 1sg amo and 2sg do (cf. proto-Kiwaian *mo and *oro).
There are over a thousand speakers in Babaguina (-7.481°N 144.254°W), Doibo (-7.4577°N 144.2717°W), Ero (-7.4461°N 144.3648°W), Paile, Tipeowo, and Wowa (-7.4143°N 144.3156°W) villages in West Kikori Rural LLG and East Kikori Rural LLG of Gulf Province, near the Aird Hills and Kikori River tributaries.[1] [2]
Porome has 9 native consonants. /s/ occurs in loanwords. There are no glottal consonants.[3]
| p | t | k~g~ɣ | |
| b | d | ||
| v | |||
| m | n | ||
| r | |||
| (s) |
There are five vowels, which are /a, e, i, o, u/.[3]
Like the surrounding languages, Porome is a tonal language. It has 5 tones.[3]
The independent pronouns and subject suffixes to the verb are as follows:
| sg | du | pl | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | amo, -me | amó-kai | amó, -ke/-ki | |
| 2 | do, -ke | aia-kai | a, -ka | |
| 3 | da, -a/-bV | abo-kai | abo, -abo |
Selected Porome vocabulary from Petterson (2010):[4]
| Porome | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|
| kikimi | head | |
| kikimikuro | hair | |
| pakai | forehead | |
| ipiri kukuro | eyebrow, eyelashes | |
| ipiri | eye | |
| obokera | ear | |
| urubi | nose | |
| koropi | tooth | |
| beri | tongue | |
| kakimoro | cheek | |
| iri | hand | |
| kaka | thumb | |
| iri uraka | palm | |
| upuruburowara | back | |
| itari | back of neck (nape) | |
| eimuro | breast | |
| bamakai | chest | |
| bakuri | belly | |
| koupuri | shoulder | |
| kunei | thigh | |
| murikara | knee | |
| warakero | leg | |
| kakapu | foot |
| Porome | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|
| tauri | 0 | |
| wakua | 1 | |
| kabirai | 2 | |
| wauteri | 3 | |
| kaka etekaro | 4 | |
| irikia wakua | 5 | |
| irikia wakua, muro wakua | 6 | |
| irikia wakua, muro kabirai | 7 | |
| irikia wakua, muro wauteri | 8 | |
| irikia wakua, muro kaka etekaro | 9 | |
| irikia kabirai | 10 |
| Porome | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|
| kuri | village | |
| mapi | house | |
| erei | fire | |
| kumapi | stone | |
| wawari | creek | |
| meri | path | |
| penoni | bridge | |
| moia | men | |
| eria | women | |
| kari | boys | |
| mibu | girls |
| Porome | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|
| bari naka | sky | |
| eri ipiro | sun | |
| omeri tero | moon | |
| okoiri | star | |
| keibu | waves | |
| momoi | clouds | |
| bari epu | rain clouds | |
| kakaikapo, neii | rain | |
| meremeri | lightning | |
| marari, konobori | wind | |
| ero | land | |
| eii | earth, soil | |
| ubi | water | |
| kaku | river | |
| eimuro | bush | |
| erouri | island | |
| moki | passage | |
| pari | sand | |
| oteri | cliff | |
| akaburi | mountain |
| Porome | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|
| kubi | tree | |
| aveiri | branch | |
| kuri | roots | |
| orei | leaf | |
| kopo | flower | |
| enenei | grass | |
| avui | cutty grass | |
| makai | betelnut | |
| dii | coconut | |
| mei | sugarcane |
| Porome | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|
| bobi | pig | |
| kumi | dog | |
| bari mei kumo | chicken | |
| kaburi | frog | |
| barami | wallaby | |
| pusi | cat | |
| kuiou | tree kangaroo | |
| kaiani, keipari | rat | |
| imai | snake | |
| boribi | cuscus | |
| tumaru | bandicoot | |
| kana | bird-of-paradise | |
| koropeiri | cassowary | |
| wamo | bush fowl | |
| kubeiri | flying fox | |
| kapasikori | black cockatoo | |
| marubo | hornbill | |
| koribi | fish | |
| einakerei | centipede | |
| eiamu | millipede | |
| morokabi | spider | |
| ubatu | grasshopper | |
| nepu, mati | mosquito | |
| nokoiri | fly | |
| enene | cicada | |
| bebeiri | butterfly | |
| aii | sago grub | |
| buburumi | sago beetle | |
| mirimabi | scorpion | |
| mi | crab | |
| timuri | prawn | |
| vi | cockle, clam | |
| keimu | crocodile | |
| akouri | river snake | |
| dabeouri | sea turtle | |
| ketoko | creek turtle | |
| watemu | river turtle |
Lexical comparison of Porome with neighboring languages:[3]
| gloss | Porome (isolate) | Urama (Kiwaian) | Rumu (Turama–Kikorian) | Ipiko (Anim) | Folopa (Teberan) | Baimuru (isolate) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| head | kikimi / kikima | epu | wotu | abe | topo | uku | |
| eye | ipiri / ipiro | idomai | ihi | uhino | kele | inamu | |
| house | mapi / mapiro | moto | mi / ve | aho | be | marea | |
| village | kuri / kuro | vati | yɔ / ve | vati | be | paʔiri | |
| place | dabu / dabo | vati | tei | vati | tiki | paʔiri | |
| tree | kubi / kubo | nuʔa | i | de | ni | iri | |
| fire | erei / eria | era | i | tae | si | iʔau | |
| dog | kumi / kumo | umu | ka | gaha | haɔ | oroko | |
| bird | kumi / kumo | kikio | ka | tipemu | ba | nako | |
| water | ubi / uburo | obo | u | ogo | węi | ere | |
| earth | ei / ero | hepu | pɛkɛ / hapu | goʔeto | hae | kae | |
| base | makiri / makiro | mabu | mate | kama | baale | ʔaia | |
| sago | i / iro | du | kɛi | du | o | pu | |
| 1s pronoun | ámò | mo | i / na | no | e̜ | na | |
| 2s pronoun | do | ro | iki / ka | vo (< ɣo) | ya̜ | ni | |
| 3s pronoun | da | nu | a | ete / itu / eto | a̜ | u | |
| 1p pronoun | àmò | nimo | name | ni | da̜ | ene | |
| 2p pronoun | a | rio | kame | ho | dia̜ | noro | |
| 3p pronoun | abo | ni | ame | iti | atima | oro |
Comparison of Porome's phonological inventory with those of neighboring languages:[3]
| language | no. of consonants | no. of vowels | /h/ | /ʔ/ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porome | 9 | 5 | |||
| Baimuru | 7 | 5 | |||
| Rumu | 8 | 7 | |||
| Kope | 10 | 5 | |||
| Urama | 12 | 5 | |||
| Kerewo | 13 | 5 |
Languages of the World
. 22nd . Eberhard . David M. . Simons . Gary F. . Fennig . Charles D. . 2019 . Dallas . SIL International.