The Rai Coast languages are a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of languages in the
Madang stock of New Guinea.
Sidney Herbert Ray
Sidney Herbert Ray (28 May 1858 – 1 January 1939) was a British comparative and descriptive linguist who specialised in Melanesian languages.Papers and field notes relating to his linguistic work are held bSOAS Special Collections/ref>
In 189 ...
identified what was then known of the Rai Coast languages as a unit in 1919. They were linked with the Mabuso languages in 1951 by
Arthur Capell in his Madang family.
Languages
Though the validity of Rai Coast is well established, there are ongoing adjustments to membership and internal classification.
Malcolm Ross added two languages to Rai Coast,
Tauya and Biyom, from the small erstwhile
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
branch of Madang.
The languages are as follows,
[ ]
* Rai Coast
** ''
Pulabu''
**Evapia–Kabenau
***
Evapia River
****
Kow
****
Kesawai,
Sausi
***
Kolom (Migum),
Siroi
***West
Kabenau River:
Arawum–
Lemio,
Dumpu
**Brahman – Peka River
***
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
:
Biyom,
Tauya
***
Peka River
****North:
Sumau,
Sop
A sop is a piece of bread or toast that is drenched in liquid and then eaten. In medieval cuisine, sops were very common; they were served with broth, soup, or wine and then picked apart into smaller pieces to soak in the liquid. At elaborate f ...
(Usino)
****South:
Danaru, Kobuga (=
Urigina?)
**
Nuru River
***
Uya
Uya (Manchu: ; ) was a clan of Manchu nobility.
Notable figures Males
*Ebaigen (额栢根)
**Esen (額森/额森)
***Weiwu (威武/威武) - a third rank military official (護軍參領/护军参领, pinyin: hujun canling), and held the title ...
(Usu)
***
Kwato (Waube)
***Lower Nuru River:
Ogea (Erima),
Uyaji–Amowe
**Awung–
Guabe River
The Guabe River is a river in northern Papua New Guinea. Guabe Riversa Geonames.org (cc-by)
GeoNames (or GeoNames.org) is a user editable geographical database available and accessible through various web services, under a Creative Commons ...
s
***
Awung River:
Jilim, Among (=
Rerau?)
***
Yangulam
Ross (2000, 2005) reconstructs pronouns for proto-Sub-Rai, which is more-or-less synonymous with Rai Coast as a whole, proto-Mindjim, proto-Yaganon, and proto-Kow–Usino.
References
Bibliography
*
*
Ross, Malcolm. 2014
Proto-Rai-Coast ''TransNewGuinea.org''.
*
Ross, Malcolm. 2014
Proto-Sub-Rai ''TransNewGuinea.org''.
*Z'graggen, J.A. ''A comparative word list of the Rai Coast languages, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea''. D-30, xvi + 196 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1980.
{{Madang languages
Languages of Papua New Guinea
Central Madang languages