Turama–Kikorian languages

(Redirected from Mena languages)

The Turama–Kikorian languages are a family identified by Arthur Capell (1962)[1] and part of the Trans–New Guinea languages (TNG) family in the classifications of Stephen Wurm (1975) and Malcolm Ross (2005). The family is named after the Turama River and Kikori River of southern Papua New Guinea; the alternative name is based more narrowly on the Omati River.

Turama–Kikorian
Rumu – Omati River
Geographic
distribution
Omati River region, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classificationPapuan Gulf ?
  • Kikorian
    • Turama–Kikorian
Subdivisions
Language codes
Glottologtura1263
Map: The Turama–Kikorian languages of New Guinea
  The Turama–Kikorian languages
  Trans–New Guinea languages
  Other Papuan languages
  Austronesian languages
  Uninhabited

Languages

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The four languages are clearly related, though Rumu is divergent. Ross states that Rumu links the other (Turama) languages to TNG.

  • Turama–Kikorian family

Proto-language

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Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:[2]

gloss Proto-Rumu-Omati Proto-Omati River Rumu
head/top *mab *mab mapô
leaf/hair/feather *b[au]t *bɔt ?paɾâu
ear *go̝ *go̝
eye *isĩ *isĩ ihī
nose *ju *ju
tooth *magu *magu makù
foot/leg *tãᵋ *tãᵋ ɾɛ̂
bone *tab *tab ɾapò
breast *sõ̝ *sõ̝
louse *gutɔm *gutɔm kuɾɔ̀
dog *gas *gas ká ~ kaé
pig *gɔ[u]n *gɔn kɔù
bird *gaᵋ *gaᵋ ká ~ kaé
egg *d[ɔ]um *d[ɔ]um
tree *i *i ì
sun *ɛsɔa *ɛsɔa ɛhɔ̂
water *wẽ̝ *wẽ̝
fire *i *i ì
path *dɛⁱ *dɛⁱ tɛî
name *e̝ne̝ne̝n *ne̝ne̝n enené
two *t[aⁱ/aᵋ] *taᵋ taí

Basic vocabulary

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The following basic vocabulary words are from Franklin (1973),[3] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.[4] The sets of words are not necessarily cognate.

gloss Rumu Ikobi-Mena Mena Omati
head wotu rapo mapʰ mabo mawo
hair pate maporo maboru mahabero
ear ku pate kupi kovi kovi
eye ihita si(tom) sitɔumu isi
nose yu rapo bopʰ boƀo sorowu
tooth maku ka̧i̧ yo kaiyɔ kokame
tongue ɔhɔ kumen kumɛn komene
leg re riki hae hại habo hai
louse kuro kurom kuromiə kulamu
dog ka kas kasə kase
bird ka kae kaiɛ kae
egg re tʌom tʌmɛ mena hai
blood hokore kai kai kei
bone rapo hap havo havo
skin heitau kora kʷaru kebo
breast so̧ so; šo šu
tree i i ʔi
man uki wane wɔnami; wɔne gamin
woman wo besi bɛse bes
sun eho iyos yosə; yosu soa
moon pari wasiba wasibia; wasibʌŋʌ baira
water u mu̧ mu fae
fire i kom kumu kumu
stone akapu kam kamə kamu
name paina nanini nɛnɛne nenena
eat nato nokun; nouwe nʌᵘwe damanai
one riabai; ṛiabai sʌkanɛ sʌkanɛ sakaina
two tai hae haiɛ hatarari

References

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  1. ^ Capell, Arthur. 1962. Linguistic Survey of the South-Western Pacific (New and revised edition). (South Pacific Commission Technical Paper, 136.) Noumea: South Pacific Commission. 258pp.
  2. ^ Timothy Usher, New Guinea World, Proto–Rumu – Omati River
  3. ^ Franklin, K.J. "Other Language Groups in the Gulf District and Adjacent Areas". In Franklin, K. editor, The linguistic situation in the Gulf District and adjacent areas, Papua New Guinea. C-26:261-278. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1973. doi:10.15144/PL-C26.261
  4. ^ Greenhill, Simon (2016). "TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea". Retrieved 2020-11-05.
  • Ross, Malcolm (2005). "Pronouns as a preliminary diagnostic for grouping Papuan languages". In Andrew Pawley; Robert Attenborough; Robin Hide; Jack Golson (eds.). Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. 15–66. ISBN 0858835622. OCLC 67292782.
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