| Maimai | |
| Region: | eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea |
| Familycolor: | Papuan |
| Fam1: | Torricelli |
| Glotto: | nucl1590 |
| Glottorefname: | Nuclear Maimai |
| Map: | Torricelli_languages_map.svg |
| Mapcaption: | The Torricelli languages as classified by Foley (2018) |
The Maimai languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family. They are spoken just to the west of Nuku town in eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea (including in Maimai Wanwan Rural LLG).
Pronouns in Maimai languages are:[1]
| 1s | ki | oi | ai | ai | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2s | si | yi | is | is | |
| 3s | ofo | tən | apan | apan | |
| 1p | əfə | yep | epep | apap | |
| 2p | yip | ipip | ipip | ||
| 3p | afa | təmoŋ | apam |
The following basic vocabulary words are from Laycock (1968),[2] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.[3]
The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. elktife, elaŋkitif for “tongue”) or not (e.g. nikiw, rakun, taŋən for “ear”).
| gloss | Beli | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| head | etwun | utüwe | paroŋ | wuntəf | ||
| ear | nikiw | rakun | taŋən | raŋkun | ŋətə | |
| eye | napə | napelkə | oi | nampəl | satoʔ | |
| nose | mohau | luweka | luwet | ruwot | suwopən | |
| tooth | panikye | parkita | panəm | paniŋk | niŋo | |
| tongue | ləhe | elktife | yansɨ | elaŋkitif | life | |
| leg | etiyə | itikya | tiŋ | youpep | papaŋ | |
| louse | lumum | hipəp | yaflin | |||
| dog | panə | mpat | pat | mpat | pato | |
| bird | pelhin | walfisa | hilít | felfis | walfun | |
| egg | waltiye | laʔwo | yilhəf | lawo | lawiyen | |
| blood | amkeʔ | wiyefa | wuji | wiyef | kuijwẽ | |
| bone | loki | yefa | lokɨ | yefa | loknwẽ | |
| skin | kirkeʔ | halipa | purko | halip | noʔoŋ | |
| breast | mapi | maka | mayr | may | mapi | |
| tree | lowɨ | lowə | lou | lou | lowo | |
| man | məsən | mohon | matan | mukun | masən | |
| woman | nuka- pyene | nuweteʔ | yukətet | nuwot | sakwoto | |
| sun | amwo | fala | olok | fala | watli | |
| moon | auniye | onifəʔ | aune | kwonif | waluko | |
| water | supɨ | hipelə | sifyer | himpel | ite | |
| fire | yakel | yafa | ya | yaʔaf | safi | |
| stone | alpɨl; kitampa | paleka | wotə | wətə́f | kalkopo | |
| two | yatowiye | oloʔw | wuríkrŋ | kolou | wosoŋ |