Lower Sepik languages
{{Short description|Language family of Papua New Guinea}}
{{Infobox language family
|name=Lower Sepik
|altname=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.
Classification
The original conception of the family, under the name Nor–Pondo, is as follows:
{{clade
|label1=Nor–Pondo
|1={{clade
|label1=Nor family
|1={{clade
|1=Murik (Nor)
|2=Kopar
}}
|label2=Pondo family
|2={{clade
|1=Chambri
|3=Angoram (Pondo)
}}
}}
}}
Malcolm Ross (2005) broke up the Nor branch (and thus renamed the family Lower Sepik) because Murik does not share the characteristic {{IPA|/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.[https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/lower-sepik-river NewGuineaWorld - Lower Sepik River] Neither accept the connection to Ramu.
=Foley (2018) and Usher (2020)=
Foley (2018) and Usher (2020) agree on the following classification.{{cite book |last=Foley |first=William A. |editor1-last=Palmer |editor1-first=Bill |date=2018 |title=The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide |chapter=The Languages of the Sepik-Ramu Basin and Environs |series= The World of Linguistics |volume=4 |location=Berlin |publisher=De Gruyter Mouton |pages=197–432 |isbn=978-3-11-028642-7}}[https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/lower-sepik-river Lower Sepik River], New Guinea World
;Lower Sepik family
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.
Phonology
Except for Yimas-Karawari, Lower Sepik languages typically have the following six-vowel system.
:
{{table}}
| i | u | |
e | ə | o |
a |
Yimas-Karawari has only four vowels.
:
{{table}}
| i | u |
ə | |
a |
==Proto-language==
{{Infobox proto-language
| name = Proto-Lower Sepik
| familycolor = Papuan
| ancestor =
| child1 =
| target = Lower Sepik languages
}}
=Pronouns=
The pronouns reconstructed for the proto-language are,
;Proto–Lower Sepik (Ross)
:
class=wikitable | |||||||
I | *ama | we two | *ka-i, *ka-pia | we few | *(p)a-ŋk-i-t | we all | *a-i, *a-pia, *i-pi |
thou | *nɨmi | you two | *ka-u, *ka-pua | you few | *(p)a-ŋk-u-t | you all | *a-u, *a-pu, *i-pu(a) |
s/he | *mɨn | they two | *mɨnɨmp ? (M), *mpɨ ? (F) | they few | *mɨŋkɨ-t | they all | *mump (M), *pum (F) |
;Proto-Nor–Pondo (Foley)
:
class=wikitable | |||||||
I | *ama | we two | *ka-i, *ka-pa-i | we few | *(pa)ŋk-it | we all | *a-i, *a-pa-i, *(y)i-i, *(y)i-pa-i |
thou | *mi | you two | *ka-u, *ka-pa-u | you few | *(pa)ŋk-ut | you all | *a-u, *a-pa-u, *(y)i-u, *(y)i-pa-u |
s/he | *mən | they two | ? | they few | *mɨŋkɨ | they all | *mump ? |
=Lexicon=
A phonological reconstruction of proto-Lower Sepik has been proposed by Foley (2005).{{cite book | last = Foley | first = William A. | author-link = William A. Foley | year = 2005 | chapter = Linguistic prehistory in the Sepik-Ramu basin | title = Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples | location = Canberra | publisher = Pacific Linguistics | isbn = 0858835622 | oclc = 67292782 | editor = Andrew Pawley | editor-link = Andrew Pawley | editor2 = Robert Attenborough | editor3 = Robin Hide | editor4 = Jack Golson | pages = 109–144 }} Foley's (2005) lexical reconstructions are provided below.
;Proto-Lower Sepik reconstructions by Foley (2005)
:
class="wikitable sortable"
! gloss !! proto-Lower Sepik !! Yimas !! Karawi !! Chambri !! Angrm !! Murik !! Kopar | |||||||
one | *mb(w)ia- | mpa- | mba- | mbwia- | mbia- | abe | mbatep |
two | *ri-pa- | -rpal | ripay | -ri | -(lɨ)par | kobo | kombari |
three | *-ram | -ramnaw | -rianmaw | -ram | -elɨm | keroŋgo | keremɨŋ |
person | *nor | nar-maŋ | yarmasɨnar | noranan | nor | nor | |
male | *pon | panmal | panmari | pondo | puin | ||
woman | *ŋay | ŋay | asay | kaye | nuŋor | ŋai | nana |
water | *arɨm | arɨm | arɨm | arɨm | alɨm | arɨm | arɨm |
fire | *awr | awt | awi | ayɨr | aluŋ | awr | awr |
sun | tɨmal | sɨmari | sɨnmari | mbwino | akɨn | akɨn | |
moon | *m(w)il ? | mɨla | tuŋkwi | mwɨl | mɨle | karewan | karep |
star | awak | suŋkwiɲcirim | suŋgwi | areɲjo | moai | kinaŋ | |
canoe | *kay | kay | kay | ke | ke | gain | kain |
house | nam | yam | kurɨr | nam | iran | indan | |
village | *num | num | imuŋka | num | num | nomot | numot |
breast | *nɨŋgay | nɨŋay | ɲjay | nɨŋke | ŋge | niŋgen | niŋgin |
tooth | *sisiŋk ? | tɨrɨŋ | sɨsɨŋ | sraŋk | sisiŋ | asarap | asirap |
blood | *ya- | yat | yay | yari | ayakone | yaran | yuwaran |
bone | *sariŋamp | tanɨm | tanɨm | anamp | salɨŋ | sariŋib̩ | sarekimp |
tongue | *minɨŋ | mɨɲɨŋ | mumɨɲɨŋ | tɨbulaniŋk | mɨnɨŋ | menɨŋ | mimiŋ |
eye | *tambri | tuŋkuruŋ | sampɨs | sɨsiŋk | tambli | nabrin | nambrin |
nose | tɨkay | ipun | wambusu | naŋɨm | daur | imbot | |
leg | *namuŋk | pamuŋ | pamuŋ | namaŋk | namuŋ | namɨŋ | |
hair | wapwi | wampi | yawi | mbwikmaley | dwar | ruar | |
ear | *kwand- | kwantumuŋ | kwandukas | kukunam | kwandum | karekep | kundot |
egg | *awŋ | awŋ | yawŋ | awŋk | awŋ | gaug | awŋ |
leaf | *nɨmpramp | nɨmprɨm | yimprɨm | nɨmpramp | namblum | nabirɨk | nɨmbiraŋ |
yesterday / tomorrow | *ŋarɨŋ | ŋarɨŋ | arɨŋ | namasɨnɨŋ | nakɨmɨn | ŋarɨŋ | rari |
oar | *(mɨ)naŋ | muraŋ | mɨnaŋ | naŋk | inap | inaŋ | naŋ |
betelnut | *poruŋ | patn | payn | muntɨkɨn | parɨŋ | porog | puruŋ |
lime | *awi(r) | awi | as | ayɨr | awer | air | air |
pig | *numpran | numpran | impian | numpran | imbar | nɨmbren | nɨmbren |
crocodile | manpa | manpo | ayi | walami | oramen | uri | |
snake | *wakɨn | wakɨn | wakɨn | wan | paruŋ | wakɨn | ikun |
mosquito | *naŋgun | naŋkun | yaŋkun | naŋgun | wawarɨn | nauk | nangɨt |
ground | *andi | anti | anti | nɨŋkrump | andi | agin | andin |
feces | *mɨndi | mɨlɨm | mɨnti | muɲjar | mɨndi | mɨndɨn | mɨndɨ |
hear | *and- | andɨ | andu | andɨ | andɨ | dɨn | nda |
hit | *di | tupul | kurar | dɨɨ | ti | di | nɨŋ |
eat | *am(b) | am(b) | am(b) | am(b) | am(b) | mɨn | ma |
go | *wa | wa | kuria | kal | wa | on | wa |
come | *ya | ya | kurapia | ya | ya | ya | ya |
sit | *sa | tay | sa | nda | sa | nda | |
big | *kupa | kɨpa | kupa | wupa | kupa | apo | kapu |
cold | *sarV- | tarɨk | sarɨk | saruk | popant | sarapakin |
For comparisons with the language isolate Tayap, see Tayap language#Classification.
Footnotes
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
{{sister project |project=wiktionary |text=Wiktionary has a list of reconstructed forms at Appendix:Proto-Lower Sepik reconstructions}}
- [http://transnewguinea.org/language/proto-lower-sepik Proto-Lower-Sepik]. TransNewGuinea.org. From (1) Foley, W.A. 1986. The Papuan languages of New Guinea, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ; (2) Foley, W.A. 1986. The Papuan languages of New Guinea, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Abbott, S. "[http://dx.doi.org/10.15144/PL-A63.313 Nor-Pondo lexicostatistical survey]". In Adams, K., Lauck, L., Miedema, J., Welling, F., Stokhof, W., Flassy, D., Oguri, H., Collier, K., Gregerson, K., Phinnemore, T., Scorza, D., Davies, J., Comrie, B. and Abbott, S. editors, Papers in New Guinea Linguistics No. 22. A-63:313-338. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1985. {{doi|10.15144/PL-A63.313}}
References
- {{Malcolm Ross Pronouns}}
{{Papuan languages}}
{{language families}}
{{Ramu–Lower Sepik languages}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lower Sepik languages}}
Category:Ramu–Lower Sepik languages