Mombum languages
| Mombum | |
|---|---|
| Komolom Muli Strait | |
| Geographic distribution | Komolom Island, southern New Guinea |
| Linguistic classification | Trans–New Guinea
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | momb1255 |
| ELP | Lua error in Module:Endangered_Languages_Project at line 21: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| File:Mombum languages.svg Map: The Mombum languages of New Guinea
The Mombum languages
Other Trans–New Guinea languages
Other Papuan languages
Austronesian languages
Uninhabited | |
The Mombum languages, also known as the Komolom or Muli Strait languages, are a pair of Trans–New Guinea languages, Mombum (Komolom) and Koneraw, spoken on Komolom Island just off Yos Sudarso Island, and on the southern coast of Yos Sudarso Island, respectively, on the southern coast of New Guinea. Komolom Island is at the southern end of the Muli Strait.[1]
History of classification
[edit | edit source]Mombum was first classified as a branch isolate of the Central and South New Guinea languages in Stephen Wurm's 1975 expansion for Trans–New Guinea, a position tentatively maintained by Malcolm Ross, though he cannot tell if the similarities are shared innovations or retentions from proto-TNG. Usher instead links them to the Asmat languages.[1] Koneraw is clearly related to Mombum, but was overlooked by early classifications. Along with the Kolopom languages, they are the languages spoken on Yos Sudarso Island (Kolopom Island).
Noting insufficient evidence, Pawley and Hammarström (2018), who refer to the languages as the Komolom branch, tentatively leave it as unclassified rather than as part of Trans-New Guinea.[2]
Pronouns
[edit | edit source]Pronouns are:
sg pl 1 *nu *nu-mu, *ni 2 *yu *yu-mu 3 *eu
Vocabulary comparison
[edit | edit source]The following basic vocabulary words are from McElhanon & Voorhoeve (1970)[3] and Voorhoeve (1975),[4] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.[5]
The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. wonderam, wondrum for “head”) or not (e.g. iŋar, itöx for “bone”).
gloss Koneraw Mombum head wonderam wondrum hair cin xu-sin eye dyan musax-nam tooth cire zix leg kan kaŋk louse am am dog ubui ipwi pig u u bird baŋa konji egg yausil blood iri iri bone iŋar itöx skin par par tree to tu man nam nam sun dzuwo zawa water mui mwe fire war wad stone mate mete name ur ur eat gim-nugu nuku- one tenamotere te two kuinam kumb
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b New Guinea World, Muli Strait
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ McElhanon, K.A. and Voorhoeve, C.L. The Trans-New Guinea Phylum: Explorations in deep-level genetic relationships. B-16, vi + 112 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1970. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Voorhoeve, C.L. Languages of Irian Jaya: Checklist. Preliminary classification, language maps, wordlists. B-31, iv + 133 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1975. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- Timothy Usher, New Guinea World, Proto–Muli Strait