Lower Sepik | |
Also Known As: | Nor–Pondo |
Region: | East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea |
Familycolor: | Papuan |
Family: | a primary language family |
Glotto: | lowe1423 |
Glottorefname: | Lower Sepik |
Child1: | Nor |
Child2: | Pondo? |
Map: | Nor-pondo-languages.png |
The Lower Sepik a.k.a. Nor–Pondo languages are a small language family of East Sepik Province in northern Papua New Guinea. They were identified as a family by K Laumann in 1951 under the name Nor–Pondo, and included in Donald Laycock's now-defunct 1973 Sepik–Ramu family.
The original conception of the family, under the name Nor–Pondo, is as follows:
Malcolm Ross (2005) broke up the Nor branch (and thus renamed the family Lower Sepik) because Murik does not share the characteristic pronounced as //p//s of the first- and second-person pronouns of Kopar and the Pondo languages, so the latter may form a group: Murik vs Kopar–Pondo. Ross classified Lower Sepik as one branch of a Ramu–Lower Sepik language family.
Foley (2005) tentatively proposes that Chambri and Angoram may be primary branches: Nor, Chambari, Karawari–Yimas, Angoram. Usher, following Foley, keeps Nor together and breaks up Pondo.[1] Neither accept the connection to Ramu.
Foley (2018) and Usher (2020) agree on the following classification.[2] [3]
Foley notes that Angoram appears to be closer to Murik–Kopar, and Chambri to Karawari–Yimas, but Foley (2018: 213) leaves them as separate branches pending further evidence.
Except for Yimas-Karawari, Lower Sepik languages typically have the following six-vowel system.
i | u | ||
e | ə | o | |
a |
Yimas-Karawari has only four vowels.
i | u | |
ə | ||
a |
Proto-Lower Sepik | |
Familycolor: | Papuan |
Target: | Lower Sepik languages |
The pronouns reconstructed for the proto-language are,
I |
| we two |
| we few |
| we all |
| |
thou |
| you two |
| you few |
| you all |
| |
s/he |
| they two |
| they few |
| they all |
|
I |
| we two |
| we few |
| we all |
| |
thou |
| you two |
| you few |
| you all |
| |
s/he |
| they two | ? | they few |
| they all |
|
A phonological reconstruction of proto-Lower Sepik has been proposed by Foley (2005).[4] Foley's (2005) lexical reconstructions are provided below.
gloss | proto-Lower Sepik | Kopar | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
one |
| mpa- | mba- | mbwia- | mbia- | abe | mbatep | |
two |
| -rpal | ripay | -ri | -(lɨ)par | kobo | kombari | |
three |
| -ramnaw | -rianmaw | -ram | -elɨm | keroŋgo | keremɨŋ | |
person |
| nar-maŋ | yarmasɨnar | noranan | nor | nor | ||
male |
| panmal | panmari | pondo | puin | |||
woman |
| ŋay | asay | kaye | nuŋor | ŋai | nana | |
water |
| arɨm | arɨm | arɨm | alɨm | arɨm | arɨm | |
fire |
| awt | awi | ayɨr | aluŋ | awr | awr | |
sun | tɨmal | sɨmari | sɨnmari | mbwino | akɨn | akɨn | ||
moon |
| mɨla | tuŋkwi | mwɨl | mɨle | karewan | karep | |
star | awak | suŋkwiɲcirim | suŋgwi | areɲjo | moai | kinaŋ | ||
canoe |
| kay | kay | ke | ke | gain | kain | |
house | nam | yam | kurɨr | nam | iran | indan | ||
village |
| num | imuŋka | num | num | nomot | numot | |
breast |
| nɨŋay | ɲjay | nɨŋke | ŋge | niŋgen | niŋgin | |
tooth |
| tɨrɨŋ | sɨsɨŋ | sraŋk | sisiŋ | asarap | asirap | |
blood |
| yat | yay | yari | ayakone | yaran | yuwaran | |
bone |
| tanɨm | tanɨm | anamp | salɨŋ | sariŋib̩ | sarekimp | |
tongue |
| mɨɲɨŋ | mumɨɲɨŋ | tɨbulaniŋk | mɨnɨŋ | menɨŋ | mimiŋ | |
eye |
| tuŋkuruŋ | sampɨs | sɨsiŋk | tambli | nabrin | nambrin | |
nose | tɨkay | ipun | wambusu | naŋɨm | daur | imbot | ||
leg |
| pamuŋ | pamuŋ | namaŋk | namuŋ | namɨŋ | ||
hair | wapwi | wampi | yawi | mbwikmaley | dwar | ruar | ||
ear |
| kwantumuŋ | kwandukas | kukunam | kwandum | karekep | kundot | |
egg |
| awŋ | yawŋ | awŋk | awŋ | gaug | awŋ | |
leaf |
| nɨmprɨm | yimprɨm | nɨmpramp | namblum | nabirɨk | nɨmbiraŋ | |
yesterday / tomorrow |
| ŋarɨŋ | arɨŋ | namasɨnɨŋ | nakɨmɨn | ŋarɨŋ | rari | |
oar |
| muraŋ | mɨnaŋ | naŋk | inap | inaŋ | naŋ | |
betelnut |
| patn | payn | muntɨkɨn | parɨŋ | porog | puruŋ | |
lime |
| awi | as | ayɨr | awer | air | air | |
pig |
| numpran | impian | numpran | imbar | nɨmbren | nɨmbren | |
crocodile | manpa | manpo | ayi | walami | oramen | uri | ||
snake |
| wakɨn | wakɨn | wan | paruŋ | wakɨn | ikun | |
mosquito |
| naŋkun | yaŋkun | naŋgun | wawarɨn | nauk | nangɨt | |
ground |
| anti | anti | nɨŋkrump | andi | agin | andin | |
feces |
| mɨlɨm | mɨnti | muɲjar | mɨndi | mɨndɨn | mɨndɨ | |
hear |
| andɨ | andu | andɨ | andɨ | dɨn | nda | |
hit |
| tupul | kurar | dɨɨ | ti | di | nɨŋ | |
eat |
| am(b) | am(b) | am(b) | am(b) | mɨn | ma | |
go |
| wa | kuria | kal | wa | on | wa | |
come |
| ya | kurapia | ya | ya | ya | ya | |
sit |
| tay | sa | nda | sa | nda | ||
big |
| kɨpa | kupa | wupa | kupa | apo | kapu | |
cold |
| tarɨk | sarɨk | saruk | popant | sarapakin |
For comparisons with the language isolate Tayap, see Tayap language#Classification.