Dagan languages explained

Dagan
Also Known As:Meneao Range
Region:Meneao Range, southeastern peninsula of Papua New Guinea:
Central Province and Milne Bay Province
Familycolor:Papuan
Fam1:Trans–New Guinea
Fam2:Papuan Peninsula
Glotto:daga1274
Glottorefname:Dagan

The Dagan or Meneao Range languages are a small family of Trans - New Guinea languages spoken in the Meneao Range of the "Bird's Tail" (southeastern peninsula) of New Guinea, the easternmost Papuan languages on the mainland. They are the most divergent of the several small families within the Southeast Papuan branch of Trans - New Guinea.

Languages

The languages are:[1]

Although clearly related, they are not particularly close. Umanakaina and Ginuman, for example, are only 23% lexically similar.

Pronouns

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

sgpl
1
  • n[e/a]
  • nu
2
  • g[e/a]
  • j[e/a]
3
  • me
  • mV

Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from SIL field notes (1965, 1967, 1973), as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.[3]

The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. giana, ginewa, ginawa for “nose”) or not (e.g. iyawa, neigin, ɛbu for “road”).

gloss Maiwa
headuna iwa kwi'.unwa; kuiyunwa
hairdeba igumewa gu'mawa; huiawa
eartaii(na) darinewa nau'nawa; naunáwa
eyeyamana yamewa yaŋganwa; yaŋ'ganwa
nosegiana ginewa ginawa; gi'nunwa
toothwari(na) nodonewa do'nawa; donáwa
tonguepepa(na) mɛriwa phed'nawa; pedt nawa
legwana ai'raniwa; beawa
louseigu kuisin kwhi'sin; nagam; usiwa
dogkwegawa eao kwhe'.au; kueyao
pigboro tuan 'bui
birdmidiwari nɛnip nenip; ve'khæthu
eggdodopi bagua ba'giwa; gat toda; kokorek bagiwa
bloodtawayana dɛnip di
bone(e)regura kaemewa mařɛt'nawa
skinetona ɛpiwa koápiwa; pha'phunwa
breastama amewa am
treena oma i; ioma
manapana apan apan; a'phan
womanwawina oaen ve'sin; wɛsin
sungabudara oam kum; khum
moondede siragam dut; duth
wateroa kaum ioi; yoi
fireiarema oma íam; yaŋ'gawa
stoneakima agim agim; 'agim
road, pathiyawa neigin ɛbu; 'ɛbu
nameewani yaoa i'vi wa
eatnaiwan mɛ 'nane; naiwi
onedaiida daiton desi'řoe; désirom
twouri dɛrɛ dúam; duːʌm

Evolution

Dagan reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma:[4]

Daga language

Kanasi language

References

Notes
  • Sources
  • Notes and References

    1. https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/papuan-peninsula/meneao-range NewGuineaWorld – Meneao Range
    2. https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/papuan-peninsula/owen-stanley-range New Guinea World, Owen Stanley Range
    3. Web site: TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea . Greenhill . Simon . 2016. 2020-11-05.
    4. Book: Pawley . Andrew . Hammarström . Harald . Palmer . Bill . 2018 . The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide . The Trans New Guinea family . The World of Linguistics . 4 . Berlin . De Gruyter Mouton . 21–196 . 978-3-11-028642-7.