Sogeram languages explained

Sogeram
Also Known As:Sogeram River
Wanang
Region:Near the Sogeram River, Papua New Guinea
Familycolor:Papuan
Fam1:Trans–New Guinea
Fam2:Madang
Fam3:West Madang
Fam4:Southern Adelbert
Glotto:soge1235
Glottorefname:Sogeram

The Sogeram languages are a family of languages in the Madang stock of New Guinea. They are named after the Sogeram River.[1]

In earlier classifications, such as that of Wurm, most of the Sogeram family were called "Wanang", after the Wanang River. The exceptions were Faita, placed as a separate branch of the Southern Adelbert languages, and Mum–Sirva (then called the "Sikan" family), which were classified with the other branch, Josephstaal (Tomul River).

Languages

Daniels (2016) classifies the Sogeram languages in three branches, including some recently documented languages.[2]

Sogeram

Daniels (2017), following Pawley, resolves the issue of Gants by classifying it as East Sogeram, closest to Kursav though he refrains from claiming the two languages form a clade. He notes that the name "East Sogeram" is no longer geographically appropriate, as Gants would be the westernmost Sogeram language.[3]

Recently discovered Magɨyi may also be a Sogeram language, with the forms of identified cognates closest to Mum.[4]

Because these languages form a chain, where each influences its neighbors, the branching of the family is not clear. Usher divides the languages in nearly the same way, differing only in the placement of Manat:[1]

Names

Below are Sogeram language names in Daniels (2015) compared to names listed in Z'graggen (1975), along with their respective meanings.[5]

Daniels (2015) meaning Z'graggen (1975) meaning
‘no’ village name
‘no’ demonym
‘no’ village name
‘no’ village name
‘what’ village name
language name village name?
‘no’
Aisi (Mabɨŋ) ‘why (no)’ village name
language name village name
language name language name

Proto-language

Proto-Sogeram
Familycolor:Papuan
Target:Sogeram languages

A phonological reconstruction of Proto-Sogeram has been proposed by Daniels (2015).[6]

Phonology

Proto-Sogeram phonemic inventory according to Daniels (2015):[6]

  • p
  • t
  • k
  • β
  • s
  • m
  • n
  • ɲ <ñ>
  • ŋ
  • r
  • i
  • ɨ
  • u
  • a

Pronouns

Daniels (2017) reconstructs the pronouns as follows:[3]

sgpl
1
  • ya
  • a-ra
2
  • na
  • na-ra
3
  • nu/*nɨ
  • nɨ-ra

Compare Ross's proto-Madang singular pronouns *ya, *na, *nu/*ua.

Lexicon

Selected lexical reconstructions from Daniels (2015) are listed below.[6]

Plant names
Proto-Sogeram Gloss Scientific name
  • akwasa
Areca catechu
  • kari
Areca catechu
  • kasam
Artocarpus altilis
  • kuimaŋ
Cocos nucifera
  • mirkwa
Cordyline fruticosa
  • kunsa
Dioscorea sp.
  • mɨnta
Imperata cylindrica
  • mimpɨŋ
Intsia bijuga
  • makin
Metroxylon sp.
  • manɨŋ
Musa sp.
  • kamura
Piper betle
  • akɨru
Saccharum officinarum
  • sakai
  • umai
bean
  • kɨñakw
  • sukan
reed sp.
Animal names
Proto-Sogeram Gloss Scientific name
  • kɨñakuŋ
Aepypodius arfakianus
  • siar
Aplonis sp.
  • kaiaŋki
Cacatua galerita
  • muiam
Casuarius unappendiculatus
  • ikakara
Gallus gallus
  • kumpin
Goura victoria
  • kwɨñaŋ
Probosciger aterrimus
  • kukɨ
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
  • aŋam
Talegalla jobiensis
  • kuyiv
Paradisaeidae
  • kariv
Pteropus
  • iŋkɨn
Phalangeridae
  • muŋmi
bee
  • kapa
bird
  • apapara
butterfly
  • kuntar
  • mavra
crocodile
  • upri
dog
  • kɨmparam
eel
  • iau
fish
  • kukasa
frog
  • naŋram
frog
  • iman
louse
  • kamɨŋaua
  • ñaŋkur
mosquito
  • iran
parrot species
  • urir
parrot species
  • sampaN
pig
  • sar
snake
  • takwɨ
snake

Comparisons

The following is a comparative table of reconstructed forms in Proto-Sogeram and Proto-Northern Adelbert.[7]

gloss Proto-Sogeram Proto-Northern Adelbert
breast
  • aman ‘breast’
  • men ‘breast’
cook in pot
  • imu ‘put in pot’
  • im- ‘boil, cook in pot’
see
  • iŋka ‘see, perceive’
  • ag- ‘see’
turn
  • ir, irɨ- ‘turn, spin’
  • girik- ‘turn’
fight
  • kira ‘fight’
  • war- ‘hit, fight’
bow
  • kɨmi ‘bow’
  • kemi ‘bow’
die
  • kɨmu ‘die’
  • um- ‘die’
walk, go
  • kɨnta ‘walk’
  • iduw- ‘go’
root
  • kɨntɨr ‘root’
  • durun ‘root’
roast
  • kra ‘roast’
  • id- ‘roast’
arm, hand
  • kuman ‘arm, hand’
  • waben ‘arm, hand’
centipede
  • kuntar ‘centipede’
  • wisir ‘centipede’
egg
  • maŋka ‘egg’
  • munag ‘egg’
husband
  • -mum ‘husband’
  • muŋ ‘husband, man’
eat
  • ña ‘eat’
  • an- ‘eat’
heavy, weight
  • pɨm ‘weight’
  • bin ‘heavy’
snake
  • takwɨ ‘snake’
  • duag ‘snake’
heart, liver
  • umpaŋ ‘heart’
  • gemaŋ ‘liver’
call
  • ura ‘call out’
  • par- ‘call’

Further reading

Online word lists

Notes and References

  1. Usher, Timothy. 2020. Sogeram River. New Guinea World.
  2. Daniels, Don. 2016. Magɨ: An undocumented language of Papua New Guinea. Oceanic Linguistics 55: 199-224.
  3. Daniels, Don. 2017. Gants is a Sogeram Language. Language and Linguistics in Melanesia 35: 82-93.
  4. https://iso639-3.sil.org/sites/iso639-3/files/change_requests/2013/2013-029.pdf ISO code request 2013-029
  5. Z'graggen, John A. 1975. The Languages of the Madang District, Papua New Guinea. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
  6. Daniels, Don. 2015. A Reconstruction of Proto-Sogeram Phonology, Lexicon, and Morphosyntax. Doctoral dissertation. University of California, Santa Barbara.
  7. PhD dissertation . Pick . Andrew . 2020 . A reconstruction of Proto-Northern Adelbert phonology and lexicon . University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa .