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Asmat–Mombum languages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Asmat–Muli Strait
Geographic
distribution
New Guinea
Linguistic classificationTrans–New Guinea
  • Asmat–Muli Strait
Subdivisions
Language codes
GlottologNone
Map: The Asmat-Muli Strait languages of New Guinea
  The Asmat–Kamrau Bay languages
  The Muli Strait languages
  Other Trans–New Guinea languages
  Other Papuan languages
  Austronesian languages
  Uninhabited

The Asmat–Muli Strait languages are a branch of the Trans–New Guinea languages spoken along the southern coast of Indonesian New Guinea, established by Timothy Usher and Edgar Suter.[1]

Protoforms of basic vocabulary include *moi 'water', *iafVnV 'ear', *uase 'name', *awoɣ 'breast'.[1]

Subdivision

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Asmat–Muli Strait consists of two primary subgroups:[2]

Proto-language

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Phonology

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Proto-Asmat–Muli Strait is reconstructed with 12 consonants and 5 vowels:[1]

*m *n
*p *t *k
*(m)b *(n)d *(ŋ)g
*s
*w *j

Vowels are *a *e *i *o *u.

Basic vocabulary

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Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:[1]

gloss Proto-Asmat-Muli Proto-Asmat-Kamrau Proto-Muli Strait
head/hair *gVɸV *uɸu *ɣo̝p, *ɣo̝w
ear *iaɸVnV *iaɸ[a/o]ne *ie̝pær
nose/tip *mVnVgV *m[e/a]n[e] *mæne̝ɣ
tooth/sharp *sisV *sisV *-sir
blood *[i/e]sV *ese *ir
breast *awVgV *awo *abuɣ
louse *amV *amo *am
dog *iuwuɾi *juwuɾi *i[u]bui
pig *[o/u]ɸV *oɸo *up
egg *[o]k[a] *oka
sun *jau[a] *jawu *zaua
water *mVi *moi *mo̝i
name *uase *uwase *ur
eat *nV *nV *no̝ku

References

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  1. ^ a b c d New Guinea World, Asmat – Muli Strait
  2. ^ Usher, Timothy; Suter, Edgar (2020). "The Asmat-Muli Languages of Southwestern New Guinea" (PDF). Language & Linguistics in Melanesia. 38. Port Moresby: Journal of the Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea. ISSN 0023-1959.
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