Asmat languages

Asmat is a Papuan language cluster of South Papua.

Asmat
Ethnicity	Asmat, Citak
Geographic distribution	Asmat Regency and Mappi Regency, South Papua
Linguistic classification	Trans–New Guinea Asmat–Kamoro Asmat
Subdivisions	Casuarina Coast Citak North Asmat Central Asmat
Language codes
Glottolog	asma1257

Languages

The principal varieties, distinct enough to be considered separate languages, are:^[1]

• Asmat
  • Kamrau Bay (Sabakor/Buruwai):^[2]
  • Casuarina Coast (Kaweinag), the most divergent
  • North and Central Asmat
    • Citak (Kaünak)
    • North Asmat
    • Central Asmat (dialects: Keenok, Sokoni, Keenakap, Kawenak)

Ethnically, speakers are either Asmat or Citak.

Evolution

See also: Asmat–Kamrau languages § Evolution

Below are some reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea proposed by Pawley (2012):^[3]

proto-Trans-New Guinea	Asmat (Flamingo Bay)
*maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’	me
*(m,mb)elak ‘light, lightning’	mer
*niman ‘louse’	(Kamoro namo)
*na- ‘eat’	na-
*ni, *nu ‘1PL’	na ‘1PL.INCL’, na(r) ‘1PL.EXCL’
*mun(a,i,u)ka ‘egg’	manaka
*niman ‘louse’	(cf. Kamoro namo)
*kasin ‘mosquito’	isi
*mbena ‘arm’	man [ban]
*mb(i,u)t(i,u)C ‘fingernail’	fit
*imbi ‘name’	yipi
*si(mb,p)at[V] ‘saliva’	(me)sep
*(mb,p)ututu- ‘to fly’	(?) pimedial
*kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’	kuwus
*inda ‘fire’	(Central Coast Asmat isi)
*tututu[ku] ‘straight’	toror
*k(i,u)tuma ‘night, morning’	iram
*tututu[ku] ‘straight’	toror
*ti, *titi ‘tooth’	ji
*ata ‘excrement’	asa
*(ŋg,k)atata ‘dry’	soso
*kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’	kuwus
*kasin ‘mosquito’	(Citak Asmat isi)
*inda ‘fire’	(Central Coast Asmat isi)
*ke(nj,s)a ‘blood’	es
*maŋgV ‘compact round object’	moko-per ‘navel’
*mun(a,i,u)ka ‘egg’	manaka
*ke(nj,s)a ‘blood’	es
*kasin ‘mosquito’	(Central Asmat isi)
*k(i,u)tuma ‘night, morning’	yiram
*kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’	kuwus
*(m,mb)elak ‘light, lightning’	(Flamingo Bay Asmat mer ‘lightning’)
*ya ‘3SG’	a

Verbs

In Flamingo Bay Asmat, light verbs are combined with adjuncts to form predicative expressions.^[4]

• e- ‘do’
  • atow e- /play do/ ‘play’
  • caj e- /copulate do/ ‘copulate’
  • yan e- /ear do/ ‘listen’
• yi- ‘say’
  • po yi- /paddle say/ ‘paddle’
  • yan yi- /ear say/ ‘hear’
  • mesa yi- /saliva say/ ‘spit’
• af- ‘hit’
  • yaki af- /sneeze hit/ ‘sneeze’
  • namir af- /death hit/ ‘die’
  • omop af- /blow hit/ ‘beat’

References

1. 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.
2. New Guinea World, Kamrau Bay
3. Pawley, Andrew (2012). Hammarström, Harald; van den Heuvel, Wilco (eds.). "How reconstructable is proto Trans New Guinea? Problems, progress, prospects". History, Contact and Classification of Papuan Languages (Language & Linguistics in Melanesia Special Issue 2012: Part I). Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea: Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea: 88–164. hdl:1885/38602. ISSN 0023-1959.
4. Foley, William A. (2018). "The morphosyntactic typology of Papuan languages". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 895–938. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.

External links

• PARADISEC archive of Asmat language recordings
• Asmat. New Guinea World.
• Kamrau Bay. New Guinea World.