The Chimbu–Wahgi languages are a

language family A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ''ancestral language'' or ''parental language'', called the proto-language of that family. The term "family" reflects the tree model of language origination in hist ...

sometimes included in the Trans–New Guinea proposal.

Languages

There is little doubt that the Chimbu–Wahgi family is valid. The languages are:Usher, Timothy
Simbu-Western Highlands
''New Guinea World''. *Chimbu–Wahgi family **Chimbu (Simbu) branch **: Kuman (Chimbu), Chuave, Nomane, Golin–

Dom Dom or DOM may refer to: People and fictional characters * Dom (given name), including fictional characters * Dom (surname) * Dom La Nena (born 1989), stage name of Brazilian-born cellist, singer and songwriter Dominique Pinto * Dom people, an et ...

, Salt-Yui, Sinasina **Western Highlands ***

Jimi River The Jimi River is a river in Jiwaka Province, Papua New Guinea. Jimi Riverin Geonames.org (cc-by) post updated 2013-05-07; database downloaded 2015-06-22 See also *List of rivers of Papua New Guinea * Jimi languages * Jimi Valley * Jimi Distric ...

***: Maring, Narak– Kandawo *** Wahgi Valley ***: Nii, Wahgi, North Wahgi (= Yu We?) ***

Mount Hagen Mount Hagen ( tpi, Maun Hagen) is the third largest city in Papua New Guinea, with a population of 46,250. It is the capital of the Western Highlands Province and is located in the large fertile Wahgi Valley in central mainland Papua New Guinea, ...

**** Melpa (Medlpa) ****

Kaugel River The Kaugel River is a river in Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. With a total length of it is one of the major tributary of Purari River. Kaugel Riverin Geonames.org (cc-by) post updated 2013-05-07; database downloaded 2015-06-22 S ...

Imbo Ungu Kaugel (Gawigl) is one of the languages spoken in the Southern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea. Native speakers call the area on the Southern Highlands side of the Kaugel River from the Western Highlands province home. Dialects are Aua ...

Umbu-Ungu Kaugel (Gawigl) is one of the languages spoken in the Southern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea. Native speakers call the area on the Southern Highlands side of the Kaugel River from the Western Highlands province home. Dialects are Aua ...

, Mbo-Ung (Bo-Ung)

Phonology

Several of the Chimbu–Wahgi languages have uncommon

lateral consonant A lateral is a consonant in which the airstream proceeds along one or both of the sides of the tongue, but it is blocked by the tongue from going through the middle of the mouth. An example of a lateral consonant is the English ''L'', as in ''Larr ...

s: see Nii, Wahgi, and Kuman for examples. Chimbu–Wahgi languages have contrastive tone.

Pronouns

The singular pronouns are: : Dual *-l and plural *-n reflect Trans–New Guinea forms.

Evolution

Middle Wahgi reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma: *''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 ‘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 + t(e,i)- ‘to vomit’

References

External links

Kaipuleohone Kaipuleohone is a digital ethnographic archive that houses audio and visual files, photographs, as well as hundreds of textual material such as notes, dictionaries, and transcriptions relating to small and endangered languages. The archive is stored ...