Login
Login

Ok languages

{{Short description|Trans–New Guinea language family}}

{{cleanup lang|date=December 2021}}

{{Infobox language family

|name=Ok

|region=New Guinea

|familycolor=Papuan

|fam1=Trans–New Guinea

|fam2=Central West New Guinea

|fam3=Awyu–Ok[https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/central-west-new-guinea/digul-river-ok New Guinea World, Digul River – Ok]

|protoname=Proto-Ok

|glotto=okok1235

|glottorefname=Ok–Oksapmin

|map=Ok languages.svg

|mapcaption=Map: The Oksapmin languages of New Guinea

{{legend|#FF5E5F|The Oksapmin languages}}

{{legend|#7BB5B6|Other Trans–New Guinea languages}}

{{legend|#D9D9D9|Other Papuan languages}}

{{legend|#E09D00|Austronesian languages}}

{{legend|white|Uninhabited}}

}}

The Ok languages are a family of about a dozen related Trans–New Guinea languages spoken in a contiguous area of eastern Irian Jaya and western Papua New Guinea. The most numerous language is Ngalum, with some 20,000 speakers; the best known is probably Telefol.

The Ok languages have dyadic kinship terms.[http://conferences.arts.usyd.edu.au/program.php?cf=19 The Oksapmin Kinship System] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090920071406/http://conferences.arts.usyd.edu.au/program.php?cf=19 |date=2009-09-20 }}, retrieved May 21, 2009.

History of classification

The Ok languages are clearly related. Alan Healey identified them as a family in 1962. He later noted connections with the Asmat languages and Awyu–Dumut families (Healey 1970).

Voorhoeve developed this into a Central and South New Guinea (CSNG) proposal. As part of CSNG, the Ok languages form part of the original proposal for Trans–New Guinea, a position tentatively maintained by Malcolm Ross, though reduced nearly to Healey's original conception. Ross states that he cannot tell if the similarities in CSNG are shared innovations or retentions from proto-TNG. Voorhoeve argues specifically for an Awyu–Ok relationship, and Foley believes that these two families may be closest to Asmat among the TNG languages.

Loughnane and Fedden (2011){{Cite journal |last1=Loughnane |first1=Robyn |last2=Fedden |first2=Sebastian |date=2011 |title=Is Oksapmin Ok?—A Study of the Genetic Relationship between Oksapmin and the Ok Languages |journal=Australian Journal of Linguistics |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=1–42 |doi=10.1080/07268602.2011.533635|s2cid=58263200 |url=http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/792226/3/Loughnane%2C%20R.%20and%20S.%20Fedden%20-%20Is%20Oksapmin%20Ok.pdf }} claim to have demonstrated that the erstwhile TNG isolate Oksapmin is related to the Ok family. However, this has not been generally accepted because loans from Mountain Ok have not been accounted for.

Van den Heuvel & Fedden (2014) argue that Greater Awyu and Greater Ok are not genetically related, but that their similarities are due to intensive contact.{{Cite journal |last1=van den Heuvel |first1=Wilco |last2=Fedden |first2=Sebastian |date=2014 |title=Greater Awyu and Greater Ok: Inheritance or Contact? |journal=Oceanic Linguistics |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=1–36 |doi=10.1353/ol.2014.0008 |jstor=43286368|s2cid=145456028 }}

Languages

The languages are:

{{tree list}}

{{tree list/end}}

Reconstruction

{{infobox proto-language

|name=Proto-Ok

|target=Ok languages

|familycolor=Papuan

|ancestor=Proto-Trans–New Guinea

|ancestor2=Proto-Awyu–Ok

}}

= Phonology =

The following are consonants of Proto-Ok:[https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/central-west-new-guinea/digul-river-ok/ok NewGuineaWorld, Ok]

class="wikitable"

|+Consonants

! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |

! rowspan="2" |Bilabial

! rowspan="2" |Alveolar

! rowspan="2" |Palatal

! colspan="2" |Velar

plain

!labialized

align="center"

! colspan="2" |Nasal

|*{{IPA|m}}

|*{{IPA|n}}

|

|

|

align="center"

! rowspan="2" |Plosive

!plain

|*{{IPA|p}}

|*{{IPA|t}}

|

|*{{IPA|k}}

|*{{IPA|kʷ}}

align="center"

!prenasalized

|*{{IPA|ᵐb}}

|*{{IPA|ⁿd}}

|*{{IPA|ⁿdz}}

|*{{IPA|ᵑɡ}}

|*{{IPA|ᵑɡʷ}}

align="center"

! colspan="2" |Fricative

|

|*{{IPA|s}}

|

|

|

align="center"

! colspan="2" |Semivowel

|*{{IPA|w}}

|

|*{{IPA|j}}

|

|

align="center"

! colspan="2" |Rhotic

|

|*{{IPA|ɾ}}

|

|

|

Vowels may be {{IPA|/*iː *ʉ *uː *e *a *o/}}, but this reconstruction may be biased toward Telefol.

=Pronouns=

Healey & Ross reconstruct the pronouns of proto-Ok are as follows:{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

:

class=wikitable

! !!m.sg!!f.sg!!pl

1

|colspan=2 align=center|*na-||*nu[b], *ni[b]

2

|*ka-b-||*ku-b-||*ki[b]

3

|*ya||*yu||*[y]i

Usher (2020) reconstructs the independent pronouns as,

:

class=wikitable

! !!m.sg!!f.sg!!pl

1ex

|colspan=2 rowspan=2 align=center|*ne ||*nu

1in

|*nu-p

2

|*ke-p||*ku-p ||*ki-p

3

|*e||*u||*i [3pl.in *i-p]

and the subject suffixes as,

:

class=wikitable

! !!m.sg!!f.sg!!pl

1

|colspan=2 align=center|*-i ||*-up

2

|colspan=2 align=center|*-ep ||rowspan=2|*-ip

3

|*-e/*-o||*-u

=Evolution=

{{see also|Telefol language#Evolution}}

Proto-Mountain Ok reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma, as quoted by Pawley & Hammarström (2018) from Healey (1964):{{cite book |last1=Pawley |first1=Andrew |last2=Hammarström |first2=Harald |editor1-last=Palmer |editor1-first=Bill |date=2018 |title=The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide |chapter=The Trans New Guinea family |series= The World of Linguistics |volume=4 |location=Berlin |publisher=De Gruyter Mouton |pages=21–196 |isbn=978-3-11-028642-7}}{{Cite thesis |last=Healey |first=Alan |title=The Ok language family in New Guinea |date=1964 |degree=PhD |publisher=Australian National University |url=https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/10871 |doi=10.25911/5d76387c2d8aa |doi-access=free |hdl=1885/10871 |hdl-access=free}}

  • *beːn ‘arm’ < *mbena
  • *mburuŋ ‘fingernail’ < *mb(i,u)t(i,u)C
  • *katuun ‘knee’ < *(ng,k)atVk
  • *maŋkat ‘mouth’ < *maŋgat[a]
  • *gitak ‘neck’ < *k(a,e)ndak
  • *kum ‘side of neck’ < *kuma(n,ŋ)
  • *mutuum ‘nose’ < *mundu
  • *falaŋ ‘tongue’ < *mbilaŋ
  • *kaliim ‘moon’ < *kal(a,i)m

=Lexicon=

==Usher (2020)==

Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:

:

class="wikitable sortable"

! gloss !! Proto-Ok !! Proto-West Ok !! Ngalum !! Proto-Central Ok !! Proto-Lowland Ok !! Proto-Mountain Ok

head

| *ambo[t] || || || *amb[o/u][t] || *ambo || *ŋgambɔːm

hair/feather

| *kam[y][ː]R || *kamu || kamil || *kep || *kami || ? *karíːm (metathesis)

ear

| *kindoːŋg || *kireŋg || siroŋ || *kiroŋg || *kende || *kìroːŋ

eye

| *kiː[n/nd][i] || *k[i]ri || sir || *kit || *kin(-jop) || *kìːn

nose

| *mitoR || *mete || misol || *m[i]t[o] || *mitu || *mít

tooth

| *niːŋgiR || || niŋil || *niŋgi || *niŋgi || *níːŋg

tongue

| *poːŋg; *pir[a/o]ŋg || *[p]iraŋg || aploŋ || *poŋg || *poŋg || *póːŋg; *piráŋg

foot/leg

| *j[aː/oː]n || *jan || jon || *jon || *jon || *jàːn

blood/red

| *r[aː/eː]m || || lam || || *jam || *rèːm

bone

| *kundo[ː]R || *kuro || kulol || *koro || *kondo || *kún

skin

| *kaːnd || *kat || kal || *kat || *kar || *kàːr

breast

| *muːk || *muk || muk || *muk || *muk || *múːk

louse

| *kuwimb || *k[uwi]p || sip || *kuwip || *kuwim || *kìm

dog

| *ano[ː]n || *anan || anon || *anon || *anon || *majaːn

pig

| *kowaŋg || *kuwoŋg || kaŋ || *koŋg || *kowaŋg || *k[àː/òː]ŋg

bird

| *n[a/o][ː]r[t] || *no[r]t || nal || *noe || *on || *awɔːn

egg

| *windin || *win || wirin || *wirin || *windi || *wín

tree/fire

| *andz || *a || a || *a || *ar (? *andz) || *às

man

| || || || || *ka-tup ||

woman

| *wVnVŋg || || wanaŋ || *kur 'woman/wife' || *w[o]noŋg || *wàn[é/á]ŋg

sun

| *at[aː/oː]n || *atan || aton || *at[a/o]n || *aton || *átàːn

moon

| *wakor || *ukot || ukol || *ukoe || *w[o]kor || *wàkár

water

| *oːk || *ok || ok || *ok || *ok || *òːk

fire/spark

| *asi[n/ŋg] || *asin || asiŋg || *asi[n/ŋg] || *awop || *weⁱŋg 'fire'

stone

| *tuːm || *tum || tum || *tum || *tum || *túːm

path

| || || || *[nd/j][y]jip || || *ɾeⁱp

name

| *[a]niŋg[o]R; *wini || *iniŋg || niŋil || *wini || *[a]niŋgo || *wín

eat

| || || || *en- 'eat/drink' || *ane- || *wan 'eat/drink'

one

| || || || *muwim 'one/all' || *mowim ||

two

| || || || || *pajop, *[p]aɾop || *asʉ; *aɾe̞ːp

==Loughnane and Fedden (2011)==

Proto-Ok-Oksapmin reconstructions from Loughnane and Fedden (2011):

:

class="wikitable sortable"

! gloss !! proto-Ok-Oksapmin

appetizer*imin
arrow type*(w)Vn; *xanaat
ashes*kip
ask*daxa
at (place)*kal
and, with*soo
bandicoot variety*kajaal
bat variety*jVwVm
be, stay*p(iː); *(i)n
bird-of-paradise*xoloom
bird variety*aleem; *ilnem
blood*xeim
blunt (of e.g. knife)*fiim
break, dislocate (bone)*doxo
burn / light fire*xVl
casuarina tree*dVtVp
chest (bone)*tVVb
cockroach*tanoom
cold*giil
collar bone*kʷiŋ
crumbs*bVVl
cucumber*kimVd
cut (hair), shave (hair)*pida-
dirty (of water)*miim
do / make*xV-
dog*mVjaan
domestic pig*kVŋ
down, below*daak
dry*xV(V)x
eagle, eagle variety*boxVl
emphatic pronoun marker*-xVp
enemy*maxaw
enough*kii
excrement*Vl
eye*kiin
fern*abal
fish*aniiŋ
frog variety*siilsiil
fruit*dVm
garden*(i)laŋ
greedy, selfish*ilek
headman, leader*kVmoxVm
heart*bVpVl
heavy*iluum
hornbill*xawel
house post*(V)bVk
husk (of nut)*(w)VVm
in, hole*tem
itchy*abaalabaal
kidney*gV(V)l(V)(p)
knee*katVVn
kookaburra*k(V)lVx
light (weight)*fVVŋ
little finger*xatxat
magic*kusem
molar / tooth*aga(k)
moon*kajoop
mosquito*gimgim
name*win
nasal mucus*iin
neck, throat*gʷel
needle*sVl
nettle variety*waan
nose*(mu)duum
no!*bV(V)s(V)
old*pVsel
pancreas*kʷVVn
part of floor*dixim
penis*eit
point, tip*puut
poor*bVlVp
possum variety*sopim
pregnant*gVpVn
pronged bird arrow*geim
pus*isax
rain shower*sox
roundworm*kasen
salt (traded from Oksapmin)*eip
same as, like*tap
seedling / plant / container*san
sharp*atVl
fed up with*gaal
sit with feet and legs together*goptV(V)
small mammal*nVVg
snake / snake variety*inap
sorcery*kimon
spark*tVtup
squash*sof(l)it; *sVko
story*saŋ
sugarcane*kʷeit
sun*ataan
sweet, tasty*xabaal
taboo*awem
temporary*(ka)kuun
thin*daŋ
tobacco*suux
tongue*fV(lV)ŋ
top / bottom of taro*dVm
trap*abil
self, reflexive*xol
urine*imaan
vein*mamel
vomit*usaan
warm*mVmVn
wasp*VVm
white cockatoo*nama
wild pig*saamVVn
wind*inim
yellow*xop; *kitax
child*mVVn
father.1POSS1*at(umon)
father.3POSS*VVlap
in-law.1POSS*baad
man's sister*bVVp
uncle.1POSS*mV(V)m(ein)
younger brother*VnVVŋ
husband and wife*agam
mother and children*Vbdil

Further reading

  • [http://transnewguinea.org/language/proto-ok-oksapmin Proto-Ok-Oksapmin]. TransNewGuinea.org. From Loughnane, R. & Fedden, S. 2011. Is Oksapmin Ok?—A Study of the Genetic Relationship between Oksapmin and the Ok Languages. Australian Journal of Linguistics 31:1, 1-42.

References

;Citations

{{Reflist}}

;Sources

  • {{Malcolm Ross Pronouns}}

External links

  • Timothy Usher, New Guinea World, [https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/central-west-new-guinea/digul-river-ok Proto–Digul River – Ok]
  • (ibid.) [https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/central-west-new-guinea/digul-river-ok/ok Proto-Ok] (see also reconstructions of individual branches)
  • Healey, Alan. (1964). [https://www.sil.org/system/files/reapdata/16/73/83/167383658215465362341442359781291267906/Ok_family_language.pdf The Ok Language Family in New Guinea]
  • Steer, Martin. (2005). [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/576ed271bebafbef665249c0/t/576ef4d7725e2552c3689535/1466889435280/Languages_of_the_Upper_Sepik_and_Central_New_Guinea.pdf Languages of the Upper Sepik and Central New Guinea]

{{Central and South New Guinea languages}}

{{Trans–New Guinea languages}}

{{Papuan languages}}

{{Languages of Papua New Guinea}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ok-Oksapmin languages}}

Category:Languages of Papua New Guinea

Category:Languages of Western New Guinea

Category:Awyu–Ok languages