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West Papuan Highlands
Irian Highlands
Geographic
distribution		Highlands of Irian Jaya
Linguistic classificationTrans–New Guinea
  • West Papuan Highlands
Subdivisions
GlottologNone
Map: The Irian Highlands languages of New Guinea
  The Irian Highlands families
  Other Trans–New Guinea families
  Other Papuan languages
  Austronesian languages
  Uninhabited

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.

History

Capell 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.

Lexical comparison

The lexical data below is from the Trans-New Guinea database[2] and Usher (2020).[3] The Bayono-Awbono data is from Wilbrink (2004).[4] Neighboring languages not traditionally classified within West Papuan Highlands are also included for comparison.

Body parts
family language head hair ear eye nose tooth tongue leg blood bone skin breast
Trans-New Guinea Proto-Trans-New Guinea *kobutu; *kV(mb,p)utu; *mUtUna; *mVtVna *iti; *(nd,s)umu(n,t)[V]; *zumun *ka(nd,t)(i,e)C; *kat(i,e)C; *tVmV(d) *g(a,u)mu; *ŋg(a,u)mu; *(ŋg,k)iti [maŋgV]; *nVpV *mundu; *mutu *magata; *maŋgat[a]; *titi *balaŋ; *mbilaŋ; *me(l,n)e; *me(n,l)e *kani(n); *k(a,o)ond(a,o)C; *kitu *ke(ñj,s)a; *kesa *kondaC; *kwata(l,n) *gatapu; *(ŋg,k)a(nd,t)apu *amu
Paniai Lakes Ekari (Paniai Lake dialect) migo iyo peka juma egó etá emo mitoo kadó ama
Paniai Lakes Proto-Lakes Plain[3] *kru/i *kudatiCV *bri *ɸidi *touCV
Dem Dem yagabuak ari; yakuli eŋgio yavkasa abuo miet aran; asi
Uhunduni Damal niŋok niŋatok noŋop naik dok; nok nimang dok; nok nigip
Bayono-Awbono Bayono[4] bɑˈbʔ bɑbʔnɑ koβokɑ suki y ̚ wũtɑmu eˈbi tiβu ˈtɛkuru kɑ ɑˈmɑ
Bayono-Awbono Awbono[4] bape babena ˑkobka ˈsuki ɛˑwontamõ newotomo epi tebu bumi karaka
Bayono-Awbono Kovojab[4] bɐbe bɐbenɐ kɔbɔkɐ suki ɛwɔntəmu ɛbi tibɯ kəni təɾɔʰ kɯrɯ kʰɐ ɐmɐ
Bayono-Awbono Densar[4] ˈbabi babaˈmina kɔbuˈka s̪uˈki bɔnteˈmɔn iˈbi ˈkibʏn neˈqa t̪ɵˈɾɔ kuˈɾa/[dɪˈba]kɵˈɾu [digjɔ]qa ʔaˈma
Dani Dani, Lower Grand Valley (Tangma dialect) mʋkkʋl-oak nesi nesakko neil-ekken namisaŋ naik namili mep noak nakap neilak
Somahai Momuna toko toko-ate otu ija i jo-ku janɨ toko ke
Mek Proto-Mek[3] *p[ɔ]t[ɔ]ŋ *aᵓ *atiŋ *jo̝ *se̝l[ija]mu *jan *e̝ne̝ŋ *jɔk *mɔᵘm
Nature
family language louse dog pig bird egg tree sun moon water fire stone path
Trans-New Guinea Proto-Trans-New Guinea *niman *n(e,i); *n(e)i; *n[e]i; *yak; *yaka[i]; *yanem *maŋgV; *munaka; *mun(a,u)ka *ida; *inda ~ *iñja *kamali; *kamuli; *ketana *kal(a,i)m; *kamali; *takVn; *takVn[V] *nok; *(n)ok; *ok(u); *ok[V] *inda; *k(a,e)dap; *k(a,e)(n,d)ap; *kambu; *k(a,o)nd(a,u)p *kamb(a,u)na; *(na)muna; *[na]muna
Paniai Lakes Ekari (Paniai Lake dialect) uka dodi ekina bedo nipo pija meuka; tani agoo uwo bodija mogo itá
Paniai Lakes Proto-Lakes Plain *pri *tabi *du *kuCV *deida *kudaide *kuipade *kuadi
Dem Dem nduu kwa uwam; uwom bela au; onde niye uweməja da; yat kunu (da)ŋat
Uhunduni Damal ma mitim bow elato; olem olemagam em ul o; uk; ut ka; kanelep kela
Bayono-Awbono Bayono nɑ onusimi / tanɛ nọ ɑbiwiŋuɑ [ɔɣ]ɔʁ kumrum wɑnto tõ
Bayono-Awbono Awbono tʰi gi nɛ tanɛ naʔˑnɛɾɛɣɛɾɛ abwĩ wo urõh wã tõ tũ warʏ
Bayono-Awbono Kovojab təɾɔʰ tʰiˈ ŋgi nɛh tɐne nɔx ʌbiŋ wɔh ɔx wɐntõ tũ mintɔ̃
Bayono-Awbono Densar t̪ɵˈɾɔ tiːh geh ɒ ni tuum
Dani Dani, Lower Grand Valley (Tangma dialect) napɩ jekke wam sʋe sʋe-kken e mo tuki i ettu helep kwe
Somahai Momuna amega kwoka uwo magisaga kwo ɨkɨ iŋga kukwa kɨ
Mek Proto-Mek *ami *gam *be̝sam *mak, *mag *do̝[k] *gal *k[ɛ]t[e̝]ŋ *wal *m[ɛ/a]g *o̝ᵘg *gɛⁱl; *gidig *bi[t/s]ig
Miscellaneous
family language man woman name eat one two
Trans-New Guinea Proto-Trans-New Guinea *abV; *ambi *panV; *pan(V) *ibi; *imbi; *wani *na; *na- *ta(l,t)(a,e)
Paniai Lakes Ekari (Paniai Lake dialect) jame eka nai ena; kate wijá
Paniai Lakes Proto-Lakes Plain *tau
Dem Dem ŋo aluŋ; gago nenawe yagaŋ ugwaŋ
Uhunduni Damal me nem nowin amenkak au; u
Bayono-Awbono Bayono kɑrio o.su ɛbiʔ ɛrɛhigo dɛke [aβəsərɑŋui]ɑsɑʉrʉ
Bayono-Awbono Awbono mesi osu ɸwi ɛri kyâ ˈkyâmɯrʏ
Bayono-Awbono Kovojab kʷai ɔsɯ ɸi ɛlexene qjʌ̃ qjʌ̃mərugɐ
Bayono-Awbono Densar jã ˈjãmɾʏ
Dani Dani, Lower Grand Valley (Tangma dialect) ap he; hʋmɩ ettake oppakke-at p:ie
Somahai Momuna mogo-mearu nowa-
Mek Proto-Mek *ge̝l *si *de̝-(b) *[na]tɔn *b[e̝/ɛ]te̝ne̝

References

  1. ^ NewGuineaWorld - West Papuan Highlands
  2. ^ Greenhill, Simon (2016). "TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea". Retrieved 2020-11-05.
  3. ^ a b c Usher, Timothy (2020). "New Guinea World". Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  4. ^ a b c d e Wilbrink, Ans (2004). The Kopkaka of Papua: Provisional notes on their language, its language affiliation and on the Kopkaka culture. MA thesis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
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