Dagan languages

Language family of Papua New Guinea From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Dagan or Meneao Range languages are a small family of Trans–New Guinea languages spoken in the Meneao Range of the "Bird's Tail" (southeastern peninsula) of New Guinea, the easternmost Papuan languages on the mainland. They are the most divergent of the several small families within the Southeast Papuan branch of TransNew Guinea.

Quick facts Geographic distribution, Linguistic classification ...
Dagan
Meneao Range
Geographic
distribution
Meneao Range, southeastern peninsula of Papua New Guinea:
Central Province and Milne Bay Province
Linguistic classificationTrans–New Guinea
Language codes
Glottologdaga1274
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Languages

The languages are:[1]

Although clearly related, they are not particularly close. Umanakaina and Ginuman, for example, are only 23% lexically similar.

Pronouns

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

More information sg, pl ...
sgpl
1 *n[e/a]*nu
2 *g[e/a]*j[e/a]
3 *me*mV
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Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from SIL field notes (1965, 1967, 1973), as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.[3]

The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. giana, ginewa, ginawa for “nose”) or not (e.g. iyawa, neigin, ɛbu for “road”).

More information gloss, Dima ...
glossDimaDagaMaiwa
head una iwakwi'.unwa; kuiyunwa
hair deba igumewagu'mawa; huiawa
ear taii(na) darinewanau'nawa; naunáwa
eye yamana yamewayaŋganwa; yaŋ'ganwa
nose giana ginewaginawa; gi'nunwa
tooth wari(na) nodonewado'nawa; donáwa
tongue pepa(na) mɛriwaphed'nawa; pedt nawa
leg wana ai'raniwa; beawa
louse igu kuisinkwhi'sin; nagam; usiwa
dog kwegawa eaokwhe'.au; kueyao
pig boro tuan'bui
bird midiwari nɛnipnenip; ve'khæthu
egg dodopi baguaba'giwa; gat toda; kokorek bagiwa
blood tawayana dɛnipdi
bone (e)regura kaemewamařɛt'nawa
skin etona ɛpiwakoápiwa; pha'phunwa
breast ama amewaam
tree na omai; ioma
man apana apanapan; a'phan
woman wawina oaenve'sin; wɛsin
sun gabudara oamkum; khum
moon dede siragamdut; duth
water oa kaumioi; yoi
fire iarema omaíam; yaŋ'gawa
stone akima agimagim; 'agim
road, path iyawa neiginɛbu; 'ɛbu
name ewani yaoai'vi wa
eat naiwanmɛ 'nane; naiwi
one daiida daitondesi'řoe; désirom
two uri dɛrɛdúam; duːʌm
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Evolution

Dagan reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma:[4]

Daga language:

  • ama 'breast' < *amu
  • meri (nawa) 'tongue' < *me(l,n)e
  • ira 'tree' < *inda

Kanasi language:

  • asi 'ear' < *kand(e,i)k(V]
  • etepa 'bark' < *(ŋg,k)a(nd,t)apu 'skin'
  • obosa 'wind' < *kumbutu
  • oman 'stone' < *ka(m,mb)u[CV]
  • nene 'bird' < *n(e)i

References

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