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Kamula–Elevala languages

Family of Trans–New Guinea languages From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Kamula–Elevala languages, also called the Kamula–Elevala River languages, are a small family of Papuan languages spoken in northern Western Province, Papua New Guinea, in the region of the Elevala River.[1][3] The family has three languages: Kamula, and the more closely related Aekyom (Awin) and Pa (Pare), which together make up the Awin–Pa, or Elevala, subgroup.[1] They had about 28,700 speakers in 2000.[1]

Geographic
distribution
northern Western Province, Papua New Guinea
Native speakers
c. 28,700 (2000)[1]
Quick facts Geographic distribution, Native speakers ...
Kamula–Elevala
Kamula–Elevala River
Geographic
distribution
northern Western Province, Papua New Guinea
Native speakers
c. 28,700 (2000)[1]
Linguistic classificationTrans–New Guinea
Proto-languageProto-Kamula–Elevala
Subdivisions
  • Awin–Pa (Awin–Pare)
  • Kamula
Language codes
Glottologkamu1264
The Awin–Pa–Kamula languages of New Guinea
  The Awin–Pa and Kamula languages
  Other Trans–New Guinea languages
  Other Papuan languages
  Austronesian languages
  Uninhabited
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The link between Kamula and the Awin–Pa languages was established by Edgar Suter and Timothy Usher (2017), who reconstructed Proto-Kamula–Elevala. Within the Trans–New Guinea family, Kamula–Elevala is placed in the Awyu–Ok branch.[1][2]

Languages

There are three languages, namely Aekyowm (Awin), Pare (Pa), and Kamula. They are not obviously related to each other, but Aekyowm and Pare are closer to each other than to Kamula.[1]: 107 

A more in-depth classification by Suter and Usher (2017) is as follows.[1]: 107 

Kamula–Elevala family
  • Kamula [1,100 speakers in 2000]
  • Elevala (= Awin–Pare) family
    • Pa (= Pare, Ba, Debepare) [6,500 speakers in 2000]
    • Aekyom (= Awin, Akium) [21,100 speakers in 2000]
      • Northeastern (= Aekyom–Skai)
      • North Central
      • Southeastern (= Aekyom–Pare)
      • Western

Classification

Stephen Wurm (1975) added Awin and Pa to an expanded Central and South New Guinea branch of TNG, a position reversed by Ross (2005). The connection between Awin–Pa and Kamula was established by Suter & Usher.[1]: 106  Timothy Usher's New Guinea World places the family within the Awyu–Ok branch of Trans–New Guinea.[2]

Reconstruction

Quick facts Proto-Kamula–Elevala, Reconstruction of ...
Proto-Kamula–Elevala
Reconstruction ofKamula–Elevala languages
Reconstructed
ancestors
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Phonology

Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant and vowel inventories as follows:[2]

More information Bilabial, Alveolar ...
Proto-Kamula–Elevala consonants
Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar
Nasal *m*n
Plosive voiceless *p (or *h)*t*k
voiced *b (or *p)*d*g
Fricative *s
Semivowel *w*j
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More information Front, Central ...
Proto-Kamula–Elevala vowels
Front Central Back
Close *i *u
Close-mid *e *o
Open-mid *ɔ
Open *æ *a
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There is also the diphthong *ai.

Pronouns

Usher (2020) reconstructs the Awin–Pa pronouns as:[2]

More information sg, du ...
Awin–Pa pronouns
sgdupl
1 *nɔ*ni, *ki
2 *go*gi
3 *jɔ
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In the 1du, Awin has /ki/ and Pare /ni/, /niki/, /nigi/. The Kamula singular forms are quite similar (na, wa, je), but it does not have the dual.

Vocabulary

Some Proto-Kamula–Elevala lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:[2]

More information gloss, Proto-Kamula–Elevala ...
Proto-Kamula–Elevala basic vocabulary (Usher)
glossProto-Kamula–Elevala
head*ke̝ba
ear*m[ɔ/o̝]d[ɔ/o̝]
eye*kinɔ
nose*kine̝
tusk/tooth*bate̝
tongue/flame*taⁱ
knee/leg*tama
bone*ke̝dɔ
louse*awV
dog*ti
pig*m₂aⁱnæ
bird*te̝ja
egg/fruit/seed*m[ɔ/o̝]k[ɔ/o̝]
tree*je̝
man*k[ɔ/o̝]b[a/ɔ]
sun/day*gani
stone*ike̝
name*pi
eat/drink*de̝-
one*tV[n/d]o̝
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Below are all of the lexical reconstructions of Proto-Kamula–Elevala from Suter and Usher (2017):[1]: 111–114 

More information gloss, Proto-Kamula–Elevala ...
Proto-Kamula–Elevala reconstructions (Suter & Usher)
glossProto-Kamula–Elevala
house*aja
mushroom*ap(ɔ,o)
hear*dade-
where?*dai
sago*daja
eat, drink*de-
burn, cook*du-
middle*dunu
brother*ei
sun, day*gani
belly, bowels*gene
leech*gimada
hold*hamV-
upright*hane
name*hi
light (in weight)*hodoka
stand, stay*hV-
sago thatch*jeme
hit*jV-
bone*kedɔ
man*kopo
now, today*kwa-
thigh*madina
shoulder*makæ
know*maN(æ,a)-
teeth, mouth*mat(e,i)
kindle*mi-
son, child*mi
body*mot(e,i)
joint*mu
tusk*patæ
skin disease*peseni
die*po-
tie, wrap*podi
pierce, burst*poko-
heart, pity*pɔdɔw(e,a)
be soft*pɔpɔtæ-
close eyes*pudi-
sit*pV-
speech*sa
rafter*saka
paddle*sode
tongue*tai
afternoon*tamide
make, do*ti-
embers*tine
bow (for arrows)*tɔ
upstream*t(ɔ,o)t(ɔ,o)
thorn*tu
banana*tuma
go*tV-
one*tVdo
illicit*u
scar*ud(e,i)
urine*ute
grub*wæja
left (hand)*weke
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Proto-Elevala

Proto-Elevala reconstructions from Suter and Usher (2017):[1]: 114–116 

More information gloss, Proto-Elevala ...
Proto-Elevala reconstructions
glossProto-Elevala
hand, arm*a
lie down*æ-
sand*daNi
give*dæ-
flea*dideme
meat*dinæ
testicles*dipɔ
crocodile*dope
sap, juice*dɔdæ
fingernail*d(ɔ,a)kæ
see*dV-
sugarcane*ga
beak*ga
sing*gi-
gums*gine
younger brother*gɔmɔde
cut*gu
stick*gum(ɔ,a)
count*hiakV-
breath*hine
do, make*hɔmV-
carry on head*i-
stone*ike
song*jɔkæ
set on fire*kamV-
leg*kate
beetle*kiame
thunder*kima(ti)
nose*kine
face*kiNɔ-namæ58
white*kɔnV-kaina59
coconut*kɔpɔkæ
pig*mainæ
head*mini
below*moka
fish*mone
stem*moNæ
what?*na
cane mail shirt*napo
charcoal*o
drum*pi
heavy*piena
buttocks*po
smell*pɔmæ
bride price*puNe
goanna*sɔNɔmæ
yesterday*te
sago thatch*temæ
rattan*tike
ground, earth*tɔ
wild*tɔna
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Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from McElhanon & Voorhoeve (1970),[4] Shaw (1973),[5] and Shaw (1986),[6] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.[7]

The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. kɔ, kro for 'bone') or not (e.g. mɔgɔ, kɛndɔkɛ for 'ear'). Notice the very low number of cognate pairs between the two languages.

More information gloss, Pare ...
Pare and Aekyom basic vocabulary
glossPareAekyom
head keba; kibapɔƀe
hair osɛ; ousetɛnɛ
ear mogamɛ; mogo; mɔgɔkɛndɔkɛ
eye kere-mo; kinemo; kinemɔkrO-ŋɛ
nose kene; kinekoe
tooth male; marɛ; pɛrɛpʰɛtɛ
tongue tɛtiː
leg tamakali
louse kiba ʔo; kiba ʔɔ; ɔhuɔlɛ
dog ti; tilpsane
pig mele
bird tie; tiye
egg moʔo; mɔʔɔ
blood sowo; sɔwɔ
bone ko; kɔkro
skin sia; siga; siyakare
breast bututɛ
tree i̧; ĩde; doe
man kobo
woman wigi
sun gẽnɛ̃; ginetoe
moon abi
water mɔa; omɛ; ɔmɔɛ; umewaɛ
fire ne; nɛde; doe
stone iebɔ; iyebo
road, path utigitɛnɛ
name hihi
eat da; denu; de-nudə
one oteso; ɔtesɔ
two diyabo; diyabɔ
String Bag dissa; disaɔ
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Evolution

Proposed Awin–Pa reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma:[8]

Aekyom language:

  • kendoke 'ear' < *kand(e,i)k[V]
  • khatike 'leg' < *k(a,o)
  • ndok[V], kare 'skin' < *(ŋg,k)a(nd,t)apu
  • di 'firewood, fire' < *inda

Pa language:

  • keba 'head' < *kV(mb,p)(i,u)tu
  • ama 'mother < *am(a,i)
  • di- 'burn' < *nj(a,e,i)

Loanwords

Kamula and Doso

Loanwords between Kamula and Doso:[1]: 125 

More information No., Doso ...
Kamula–Doso loanwords
No.KamulaDosoTurumsa
1'father'[a:] 'father'[a:] 'father'
2'mother'['wai] 'mother'['wai] 'mother'
3'older brother'['bapa] 'older brother'
4'older sister'['nana] 'older sister'
5'blood'['omari] 'blood'
6'stomach'[kù'ko] 'belly (outside)'
7'wallaby'[ka'pia] 'wallaby'[kapia] 'wallaby'
8'cassowary'[wa:taɾa] 'cassowary'[wa:taɾa] 'cassowary'
9'cloud'['waɾa] 'cloud'
10'sand'['asiɾa] 'sand'
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Aekyom and Ok

Aekyom loanwords from Ok languages:[1]: 124 

More information No., Aekyom ...
Aekyom loanwords from Ok
No.AekyomMountain OkLowland Ok
1[mon] 'rubbish'*mɔːn 'rubbish, compost'
2[ɺoŋ] 'garden newly felled'*ɾaŋg 'garden'*joŋg 'garden'
3[khno] 'canoe'*kono 'canoe'
4[ambum(e)] 'turtle'*ambɔːm 'turtle species'*ambom 'turtle'
5[khwiɺe] 'hornbill'*kaweːɾ 'Papuan hornbill'*kaweɾ 'hornbill'
6[ubine] 'rhinoceros beetle'*umiːn 'rhinoceros beetle'
7[mom] 'nephew, maternal'*mɔːm 'mother's brother'*mom 'mother's brother'
8[ahwoe] 'grandmother'*ap(e,o)ːk 'grandmother'*apok 'grandmother'
9[khendoke] 'outer ear'*kindɔːŋg 'inner ear'*kende 'ear'
10[mgat-ɺam] 'in the mouth'*maŋgat 'mouth, chin'*maŋgot 'mouth'
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Kamula and Aramia River

Kamula loanwords from Aramia River languages:[1]: 126 

More information No., Waruna ...
Kamula loanwords from Aramia River
No.KamulaWarunaGogodala
1'taro'[bibi] 'taro'[bibi] 'taro'
2'yam'[waisa] 'yam'
3'canoe'[gwawa] 'canoe'[gawa] 'canoe'
4'paddle, oar'[keari] 'paddle'[keari] 'paddle'
5'chicken'[kakaba] 'fowl'
6'breadfruit'[kawaki] 'breadfruit'
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Kamula–Elevala and Awyu–Dumut

Potential cognates between Kamula–Elevala and Awyu–Dumut (Healey 1970[9]):[1]: 128 

Abbreviations
  • pAD = proto-Awyu–Dumut
  • pA = proto-Awyu
  • pD = proto-Dumut
  • pKE = proto-Kamula–Elevala
  • pK = proto-Kamula
  • pE = proto-Elevala
More information Awyu–Dumut (Healey 1970) ...
Kamula–Elevala and Awyu–Dumut potential cognates
Awyu–Dumut (Healey 1970)Kamula–Elevala
pAD *dat- 'hear'pKE *dade- 'hear'
pAD *do- 'be cooked'pKE *du- 'burn, cook'
pAD *ɛdex- 'give'pE *dæ- 'give'
pAD *füp 'name'pKE *hi 'name'
pAD *göp 'you (sg.)'pE *go 'you (sg.)'
pAD *ket 'flower'Pa [ke] 'blossom'
pAD *mak 'shoulder'pKE *makæ 'shoulder'
pAD *nop 'I'pE *nɔ 'I'
pAD *or 'excreta, intestines'Kamula /o/ 'abdomen, belly'
pAD *xaiban 'head'Pa [keba] 'head'
pAD *xop 'male, man'pKE *kopo 'man'
pAD *yin 'tree, wood, fire'Pa [ẽ] 'tree'
pA *bu 'buttocks'pE *po 'buttocks'
pA *dübe, *dübi 'island'Aekyom [dupi] 'island'
pA *düb(-ro) 'heart'Kamula 'heart'
pA *makan, *mokan 'low, beneath'pE *moka 'below'
pA *midi(n) 'thigh'pKE *madina 'thigh'
pA *wün 'liver'Pa [wumɛ] 'liver'
pA *xui(-to) 'sky'Aekyom [khwoe] 'sky, heaven'
pD *ba- 'sit'pKE *pV- 'sit'
pD *kumöt 'thunder'pE *kima(ti) 'thunder'
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