The Asmat – Kamrau Bay languages are a family of a dozen Trans–New Guinea languages spoken by the Asmat and related peoples in southern Western New Guinea. They are believed to be a recent expansion along the south coast, as they are all closely related, and there is little differentiation in their pronouns.
| Asmat–Kamrau | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | southern coast and Kamrau Bay of Indonesian New Guinea |
| Ethnicity | Asmat people etc. |
| Linguistic classification | Trans–New Guinea
|
| Subdivisions |
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | asma1256 |
 Map: The Asmat–Kamrau languages of New Guinea
The Asmat–Kamrau languages
Other Trans–New Guinea languages
Other Papuan languages
Austronesian languages
Uninhabited | |
Languages
- Kamrau Bay (Sabakor):[3]
- Buruwai (Sabakor)
- Kamrau
- North Kamberau (Iria)
- South Kamberau (Asienara)
- Asmat–Kamoro[4]
Proto-language
Phonemes
Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant inventory as follows:[5]
m n p [t] k b [d] ɟ ɡ [ɸ] s w r j
There is near complementary distribution between *p and *ɸ. *t and *d are marginal, appearing in only a few words. *r does not occur initially. There are no consonant clusters.
Vowels are *a *e *i *o *u.
Pronouns
Ross (2005) reconstructs the proto-Asmat–Kamoro pronouns as:
| sg | pl | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | *no[ro] | *na[re] |
| 2 | *o[ro]/we[rV] | *ca[re] |
| 3 | *a[re] |
Usher (2020) reconstructs the free proto–Asmat–Kamrau Bay pronouns as:[5]
|
|
|
Basic vocabulary
Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:[5]
| gloss | Proto-Asmat-Kamrau | Proto-Kamrau Bay | Proto-Asmat-Kamoro | Proto-Asmat | Proto-Muli Strait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| head | *uɸu | *jebin | *ufu | *kowisi 'head/skull' | *ɣo̝p 'head/hair'; *uɔndVro̝m 'head/skull' |
| hair | *ɸini | *ɸin | *fini | *ɸinV 'hair/feather(s)' | *sin |
| ear | *jiɸ[a/o]ne | *jaɸ[a/o]m | *jafane | *jaɸane | *ie̝pær |
| eye | *manaN | *manam | *mana | *mana | *musiɣ |
| nose | *miC | *mik | *mi | *mi | *mæne̝ɣ 'nose/tip' |
| tooth | *siC | *sik | *sisi | *sisV | *ziɣ |
| tongue | *komane | *[a]mam | *komane | *komVne | *ndupæn |
| foot/leg | *mawu | *mawu | *mawu | *mawi | *kaŋg 'leg' |
| blood/red | *ese | *et | *ese | *ir 'blood' | |
| fruit/seed/bone | *eake | *eke | *eake | ||
| skin/bark | *ɸu | *pitini | *pitʲini | *par | |
| breast | *awo | *awo | *awo | *abuɣ | |
| louse | *amo | *om | *amo | *am | |
| dog | *juwuɾi | *iwuɾ | *juwuri | *juwVɾi | *i[u]bui |
| pig | *oɸo | *ok | *ofo | *up | |
| bird | *geɟ | *sakV | |||
| egg | *[a]sa | *asa | *sa | *sa | |
| tree/wood | *ose | *o | *ose | *to̝ 'tree' | |
| man/male | *bewu | *nam 'man/person' | |||
| woman | *ɟawoɟa | *jawoɟa | *cawoca | *jipitʲi | *ie̝t 'woman/wife' |
| sun | *jawu | *asi 'sun/day' | *jawu | *jawi | *zaua |
| moon | *buɾa | *buɾa | *pura | *piɾa | *irind |
| water | *m[oi/ui] | *moɟ | *mui | *mui | *mo̝i |
| fire/firewood | *usa | *usa | *usa | *jusa | *ua[nd/r] 'fire' |
| stone | *jeta | *eta | *j[e]ka | *mæte̝ | |
| path | *matoC; *mak | *mato | |||
| name | *uwase | *u | *uwase | *juwase | *ur |
| eat/drink | *n[a]- | *n[a]- | *n[e/a] | *ne- | *no̝ku |
| one | *ɟawa[kV] | *-ɟawa | *cawak[e/a] | *tʲawaka | |
| two | *kaboma | *aboma | *kapoma; *jam[i/u]nV |
Evolution
Proto-Asmat-Kamoro reflexes (Voorhoeve 2005)[6] of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma, as listed in Pawley & Hammarström (2018):[7]
- *fiti ‘fingernail’ < pTNG *mb(i,u)t(i,u)C
- *isi ‘mosquito’ < *kasin
- *ese ‘blood’ < *kenja
- *masap or *masip ‘saliva’ < *si(mb,p)atV
- *yi ‘urine’ < *[si]si
- *asa ‘excrement’ < *asa
- *manaka ‘eye’ < *mun(a,e,i)ka
- *sisi ‘tooth’ < *(t,s)i(t,s)i
- *yirama ‘night’ < *k(i,u)tama
- *tama ‘morning’ < *k(i,u)tama
- *na- ‘eat’ < *na-
References
Bibliography
External links
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