| Wapei | |
| Also Known As: | Wapeic |
| Region: | eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea |
| Familycolor: | Papuan |
| Fam1: | Torricelli |
| Fam2: | Wapei–Palei |
| Glotto: | wape1250 |
| Glottoname: | Wapeic |
| Map: | Torricelli_languages_map.svg |
| Mapcaption: | The Torricelli languages as classified by Foley (2018). Wapei and Palei languages are yellow. |
The Wapei languages constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family according to Laycock (1975) (quoted from Foley 2018). Glottolog does not accept this grouping. They are spoken in mountainous regions of eastern Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.
Languages are:
Gnau may also belong here.
Pronouns in Wapei languages are:[1]
| 1s | ki | ki | ki | xi | i | yi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2s | ite | yi | yi | ti | a | pay | |
| 3s | elel | rən | rən | xərak | an | pan | |
| 1p | ku | kufu | kufu | xaiw | aw | you | |
| 2p | yife | yifi | yifi | yi | ɨ | piyou | |
| 3p | elpel | rəl | rəl | xər | aral | pəram |
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. wupli, wopli, wufliyəx for “sun”) or not (e.g. yipwur, maləx, nəfənək for “nose”).
| gloss | Yau | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| head | faʔan | pale | palau | waʔal | uːru | peine | ariyi | lülü | nülü | |
| ear | nikif | ma | ŋipi | məkər | məŋkam | ma | mək | yapot | yampər | |
| eye | naʔan | yampax | namək | lüs | napaka | nap | kwutiyane | kwuriyaf | ||
| nose | yipwur | maləx | nəfənək | minopoŋko | malka | nupuŋk | minityu | minit | ||
| tooth | yaxas | yaŋkən | nulpo | naː | nelpə | naːkən | nak | yanət | yaːnət | |
| tongue | niːn | yilwat | yuwaŋ | waːr | non | war | yimyau | |||
| leg | xət | xuwə | tiye | yau | orou | walək | suː | kiriu | kiriu | |
| louse | nəmk | raləx | nəmeiləm | nəmaŋkar | nəmom | rarka | namkar | kwutəl | kwurəl | |
| dog | napara | patə | palel | faréː | pele | pata | par | asi | piːren | |
| bird | xoura | antə | aulon | aprei | nafle | nata | afər | yafren | yafren | |
| egg | yinu | yilkit | yülam | yuːlək | yiləm | puta | wiːlər | yilip | walilip | |
| blood | amkra | amkə | omkol | niːkri | təlüs | leŋka | nək | nawan | nawe | |
| bone | xəmik | lakət | emiŋel | ləmeʔi | emio | lakita | nimik | kəmiene | kumialen | |
| skin | yilik | pawült | paulou | faːwal | topo | pawulta | pawar | tərkwaf | ternan | |
| breast | nəm | mate | niman | maːʔ | nemer | mata | mak | nəmar | numar | |
| tree | nuː | lowə | nipel | luː | nəmpe | niːpa | loː | nifif | nimpip | |
| man | mitik | teralkit | monol | masin | metene | matei | məsin | metfaine | ruːtil | |
| woman | mite | yuː | matal | naʔ aipi | moːto | nusakei | matei | kulum | wapur | |
| sun | wupli | wopli | wopli | wufliyəx | epli | xahi | wupli | kwapli | kwipli | |
| moon | wunkə | ouyi | auniyil | onyil | ane | aunəxə | uni | noulai | nuːlai | |
| water | təpar | niː | tipel | niː | tepe | wɨn | niː | tipal | təpal | |
| fire | siː | yalix | wul | walk | weli | yakə | walk | wəti | weli | |
| stone | xəte | talmanəf | xəroi | erau | kita | yir | kranə | krapene | ||
| two | wikat | wiye | wiŋe | wilal | wiŋkes | fiyə | wiyem | wiyum | wiyəm |