Porome language
{{Short description|Language isolate of Papua New Guinea}}
{{distinguish|Rumu language}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Porome
|nativename=Kibiri
|states=Papua New Guinea
|region=Gulf Province, Kikori District, near Aird Hills, on several tributaries of Kikori River, villages of Tipeowo, Doibo, Paile, Babaguina, Ero, and Wowa in southern Papua New Guinea
|coordinates = {{coord|7|27|S|144|17|E|type:landmark|display=inline}}
|speakers={{sigfig|1180|2}}
|date=2011
|ref=e18
|familycolor=Papuan
|family=language isolate ?
|dia1=Porome
|dia2=Kibiri
|iso3=prm
|glotto=kibi1239
|glottorefname=Kibiri
|map=Porome language.svg
|mapcaption=Map: The Porome language of New Guinea
{{legend|#FF5E5F|The Porome language (large bay, southern PNG)}}
{{legend|#7BB5B6|Trans–New Guinea languages}}
{{legend|#D9D9D9|Other Papuan languages}}
{{legend|#E09D00|Austronesian languages}}
{{legend|white|Uninhabited}}
}}
{{GeoGroupTemplate}}
Porome, also known as Kibiri, is a Papuan language of southern Papua New Guinea.
Classification
Porome was classified as a language isolate by Stephen Wurm. Although Malcolm Ross linked it to the Kiwaian languages, there is no evidence for a connection apart from the pronouns 1sg amo and 2sg do (cf. proto-Kiwaian *mo and *oro).
Distribution
There are over a thousand speakers in Babaguina ({{coord|-7.480977|144.254009|type:city_region:PG|name=Babaguina}}), Doibo ({{coord|-7.45766|144.271731|type:city_region:PG|name=Doibo/Babeio/Veiru}}), Ero ({{coord|-7.446131|144.364831|type:city_region:PG|name=Ero}}), Paile, Tipeowo, and Wowa ({{coord|-7.414287|144.315579|type:city_region:PG|name=Wowou}}) villages in West Kikori Rural LLG and East Kikori Rural LLG of Gulf Province, near the Aird Hills and Kikori River tributaries.{{cite web |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/PG/languages |title=Papua New Guinea languages |work=Ethnologue: Languages of the World |edition=22nd |editor1-last=Eberhard |editor1-first=David M. |editor2-last=Simons |editor2-first=Gary F. |editor3-last=Fennig |editor3-first=Charles D. |date=2019 |location=Dallas |publisher=SIL International}}{{cite web |url=https://data.humdata.org/dataset/village-coordinates-lookup |title=Papua New Guinea Village Coordinates Lookup |author=United Nations in Papua New Guinea |work=Humanitarian Data Exchange |version=1.31.9 |date=2018}}
Phonology
Porome has 9 native consonants. /s/ occurs in loanwords. There are no glottal consonants.Petterson, Robert. 2019. [https://www.langlxmelanesia.com/15_Porome_Petterson.pdf Interesting Features of Porome: An Isolate Language of PNG]. Paper presented at the LSPNG 2019 Conference. 30pp.
:
| class="wikitable"
| p | t | k~g~ɣ |
| b | d | |
| v | ||
| m | n | |
| r | ||
| (s) |
There are five vowels, which are /a, e, i, o, u/.
Like the surrounding languages, Porome is a tonal language. It has 5 tones.
- High-level: kóí ‘cloth’
- Low-level: kòì ‘selfish’
- Rising: mèrí ‘road’
- Falling: mérì ‘pandanus’
- Peaking: pàkúmì ‘feather’
Pronouns
The independent pronouns and subject suffixes to the verb are as follows:
:
| sg | du | pl | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1
|amo, -me||amó-kai||amó, -ke/-ki | |||
| 2
|do, -ke||aia-kai||a, -ka | |||
| 3
|da, -a/-bV||abo-kai||abo, -abo |
Vocabulary
Selected Porome vocabulary from Petterson (2010):Petterson, Robert. 2010. Porome Daporo Avea Buka = Porome Language Picture Dictionary. Ukarumpa: SIL-PNG.
=Body parts=
:
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Porome !! Gloss | |
| kikimi | head |
| kikimikuro | hair |
| pakai | forehead |
| ipiri kukuro | eyebrow, eyelashes |
| ipiri | eye |
| obokera | ear |
| urubi | nose |
| koropi | tooth |
| beri | tongue |
| kakimoro | cheek |
| iri | hand |
| kaka | thumb |
| iri uraka | palm |
| upuruburowara | back |
| itari | back of neck (nape) |
| eimuro | breast |
| bamakai | chest |
| bakuri | belly |
| koupuri | shoulder |
| kunei | thigh |
| murikara | knee |
| warakero | leg |
| kakapu | foot |
=Numerals=
:
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Porome !! Gloss | |
| tauri | 0 |
| wakua | 1 |
| kabirai | 2 |
| wauteri | 3 |
| kaka etekaro | 4 |
| irikia wakua | 5 |
| irikia wakua, muro wakua | 6 |
| irikia wakua, muro kabirai | 7 |
| irikia wakua, muro wauteri | 8 |
| irikia wakua, muro kaka etekaro | 9 |
| irikia kabirai | 10 |
=Village and society=
:
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Porome !! Gloss | |
| kuri | village |
| mapi | house |
| erei | fire |
| kumapi | stone |
| wawari | creek |
| meri | path |
| penoni | bridge |
| moia | men |
| eria | women |
| kari | boys |
| mibu | girls |
=Nature and environment=
:
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Porome !! Gloss | |
| bari naka | sky |
| eri ipiro | sun |
| omeri tero | moon |
| okoiri | star |
| keibu | waves |
| momoi | clouds |
| bari epu | rain clouds |
| kakaikapo, neii | rain |
| meremeri | lightning |
| marari, konobori | wind |
| ero | land |
| eii | earth, soil |
| ubi | water |
| kaku | river |
| eimuro | bush |
| erouri | island |
| moki | passage |
| pari | sand |
| oteri | cliff |
| akaburi | mountain |
=Plants=
:
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Porome !! Gloss | |
| kubi | tree |
| aveiri | branch |
| kuri | roots |
| orei | leaf |
| kopo | flower |
| enenei | grass |
| avui | cutty grass |
| makai | betelnut |
| dii | coconut |
| mei | sugarcane |
=Animals=
:
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Porome !! Gloss | |
| bobi | pig |
| kumi | dog |
| bari mei kumo | chicken |
| kaburi | frog |
| barami | wallaby |
| pusi | cat |
| kuiou | tree kangaroo |
| kaiani, keipari | rat |
| imai | snake |
| boribi | cuscus |
| tumaru | bandicoot |
| kana | bird-of-paradise |
| koropeiri | cassowary |
| wamo | bush fowl |
| kubeiri | flying fox |
| kapasikori | black cockatoo |
| marubo | hornbill |
| koribi | fish |
| einakerei | centipede |
| eiamu | millipede |
| morokabi | spider |
| ubatu | grasshopper |
| nepu, mati | mosquito |
| nokoiri | fly |
| enene | cicada |
| bebeiri | butterfly |
| aii | sago grub |
| buburumi | sago beetle |
| mirimabi | scorpion |
| mi | crab |
| timuri | prawn |
| vi | cockle, clam |
| keimu | crocodile |
| akouri | river snake |
| dabeouri | sea turtle |
| ketoko | creek turtle |
| watemu | river turtle |
Comparison
Lexical comparison of Porome with neighboring languages:
:
| class="wikitable sortable"
! gloss !! Porome |
| head
| kikimi / kikima || epu || wotu || abe || topo || uku |
|---|
| eye
| ipiri / ipiro || idomai || ihi || uhino || kele || inamu |
| house
| mapi / mapiro || moto || mi / ve || aho || be || marea |
| village
| kuri / kuro || vati || yɔ / ve || vati || be || paʔiri |
| place
| dabu / dabo || vati || tei || vati || tiki || paʔiri |
| tree
| kubi / kubo || nuʔa || i || de || ni || iri |
| fire
| erei / eria || era || i || tae || si || iʔau |
| dog
| kumi / kumo || umu || ka || gaha || haɔ || oroko |
| bird
| kumi / kumo || kikio || ka || tipemu || ba || nako |
| water
| ubi / uburo || obo || u || ogo || węi || ere |
| earth
| ei / ero || hepu || pɛkɛ / hapu || goʔeto || hae || kae |
| base
| makiri / makiro || mabu || mate || kama || baale || ʔaia |
| sago
| i / iro || du || kɛi || du || o || pu |
| 1s pronoun
| ámò || mo || i / na || no || e̜ || na |
| 2s pronoun
| do || ro || iki / ka || vo (< ɣo) || ya̜ || ni |
| 3s pronoun
| da || nu || a || ete / itu / eto || a̜ || u |
| 1p pronoun
| àmò || nimo || name || ni || da̜ || ene |
| 2p pronoun
| a || rio || kame || ho || dia̜ || noro |
| 3p pronoun
| abo || ni || ame || iti || atima || oro |
Comparison of Porome's phonological inventory with those of neighboring languages:
:
| class="wikitable"
! language !! no. of |
| Porome
| 9 || 5 || || |
|---|
| Baimuru
| 7 || 5 || || {{Check mark}} |
| Rumu
| 8 || 7 || {{Check mark}} || |
| Kope
| 10 || 5 || {{Check mark}} || {{Check mark}} |
| Urama
| 12 || 5 || {{Check mark}} || {{Check mark}} |
| Kerewo
| 13 || 5 || {{Check mark}} || {{Check mark}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
- {{Malcolm Ross Pronouns}}
{{Papuan languages}}
{{Language families}}