Chimbu–Wahgi languages

The Chimbu–Wahgi languages are a language family of New Guinea. They are sometimes included in the Trans–New Guinea proposal; Usher links them with the Engan languages in a Central New Guinea Highlands family.^[1]

Chimbu–Wahgi
Simbu – Western Highlands
Geographic distribution	Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classification	Trans–New Guinea or Papuan Gulf? Central New Guinea Highlands Chimbu–Wahgi
Subdivisions	Chimbu Hagen Jimi Wahgi
Language codes
Glottolog	cent2120
Map: The Chimbu–Wahgi languages of New Guinea   Chimbu–Wahgi languages   Trans–New Guinea languages   Other Papuan languages   Austronesian languages   Uninhabited

Languages

There is little doubt that the Chimbu–Wahgi family is valid. The languages are:^[2]

• Chimbu–Wahgi family
  • Chimbu (Simbu) branch
    • Kuman (Chimbu)
    • Chuave
    • Nomane
    • Golin–Dom
    • Salt-Yui
    • Sinasina
  • Western Highlands
    • Jimi River
      • Maring
      • Narak–Kandawo
    • Wahgi Valley
      • Nii
      • Wahgi
      • North Wahgi (= Yu We?)
    • Mount Hagen
      • Melpa (Medlpa)
      • Kaugel River
        • Imbo Ungu
        • Umbu-Ungu
        • Mbo-Ung (Bo-Ung)

Phonology

Several of the Chimbu–Wahgi languages have uncommon lateral consonants: see Nii, Wahgi, and Kuman for examples.

Chimbu–Wahgi languages have contrastive tone.^[3]

Pronouns

The singular pronouns are:

	sg
1	*ná
2	*nim
3	*[y]é

Dual *-l and plural *-n reflect Trans–New Guinea forms.

Evolution

See also: Wahgi language § Evolution

Middle Wahgi reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma:^[3]

• ama ‘mother’ < *am(a,i)
• amu ‘breast’ < *amu
• numan ‘louse’ < *niman
• numan ‘thought, mind, will’ < *n(o,u)
• man, muŋ ‘fruit, nut, lump’
• muŋgum ‘kidney’ < *maŋgV ‘round object’
• mundmuŋ ‘heart’ < *mundun-maŋgV
• mokum, mokem ‘knuckle, joint’ < *mo(k,ŋg)Vm ‘joint’
• mundun mo- ‘be pot bellied’ < *mundun ‘internal organs, belly’
• ŋaŋ ‘small male child’ < *ŋaŋ[a] ‘baby’
• apa- ‘maternal uncle’ < *apa ‘father’
• embe(m) ‘name’ < *imbi ‘name’
• muk ‘blue’ < *muk
• tuk- ‘chop’ < *tVk- ‘cut, cut off’
• no- ‘eat’ < *na-
• mek si- ‘to vomit’
• mek ‘vomitus’ < *makV[C] + t(e,i)- ‘to vomit’

References

1. NewGuineaWorld, Central New Guinea Highlands
2. Usher, Timothy. Simbu-Western Highlands. New Guinea World.
3. Pawley, Andrew; Hammarström, Harald (2018). "The Trans New Guinea family". 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. 21–196. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.

Further reading

• Ross, Malcolm (2005). "Pronouns as a preliminary diagnostic for grouping Papuan languages". In Andrew Pawley; Robert Attenborough; Robin Hide; Jack Golson (eds.). Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. 15–66. ISBN 0858835622. OCLC 67292782.
• Ross, Malcolm. 2014. Proto-Chimbu-Wahgi. TransNewGuinea.org.

External links

• Kaipuleohone archive of Chimbu-Wahgi language recordings