Lower Sepik languages

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

|2=Karawari (Tabriak), Yimas

|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) 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

• Kopar–Murik (Nor)
• Murik
• Kopar
• Angoram
• Chambri
• Karawari–Yimas
• Karawari
• Yimas

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.

:

Yimas-Karawari has only four vowels.

:

==Proto-language==

{{Infobox proto-language

| name = Proto-Lower Sepik

| familycolor = Papuan

| ancestor =

| child1 =

| target = Lower Sepik languages

}}

The pronouns reconstructed for the proto-language are,

;Proto–Lower Sepik (Ross)

:

;Proto-Nor–Pondo (Foley)

:

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)

:

For comparisons with the language isolate Tayap, see Tayap language#Classification.

{{Reflist}}

{{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}}

• {{Malcolm Ross Pronouns}}

{{Papuan languages}}

{{language families}}

{{Ramu–Lower Sepik languages}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lower Sepik languages}}

Category:Ramu–Lower Sepik languages

Category:Languages of East Sepik Province

Category:Papuan languages

Category:Language families