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The West Papuan Highland languages, also known as the Irian Highland languages, are a branch of the Trans–New Guinea language family proposed by Larson & Larson (1972) and confirmed by Timothy Usher.[1] William A. Foley considers their Trans–New Guinea identity to be established.
- Dani (Balim Valley) family
- Paniai Lakes (Wissel Lakes) family
- Amung–Dem
| West Papuan Highlands | |
|---|---|
| Irian Highlands | |
| Geographic distribution | Highlands of Irian Jaya |
| Linguistic classification | Trans–New Guinea
|
| Subdivisions |
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | None |
 Map: The Irian Highlands languages of New Guinea
The Irian Highlands families
Other Trans–New Guinea families
Other Papuan languages
Austronesian languages
Uninhabited | |
History
editCapell linked the Dani languages to Kwerba in 1962, a position followed by Wurm, who included Dani-Kwerba and the Wissel Lakes (Paniai Lakes) languages as branches of Trans–New Guinea. Larson & Larson (1972) proposed that the Dani and Paniai Lakes families, along with the Amung and Dem isolates, grouped together within TNG. Ross (2005) suggests a possible link between Dani and Paniai with his West TNG proposal. Usher confirms Larson & Larson and finds that the Amung and Dem languages are closest to each other.