Proto-Trans–New Guinea Language

Proto-Trans–New Guinea is the reconstructed proto-language ancestral to the Trans–New Guinea languages. Reconstructions have been proposed by Malcolm Ross and Andrew Pawley.

Phonology

Proto-Trans–New Guinea is reconstructed with a typical simple Papuan inventory: five vowels ; three phonations of stops at three places , , ; plus a palatal affricate , the fricative , and the approximants . Syllables are typically (C)V, with CVC possible at the ends of words. Many of the languages have restricted tone systems.

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The Proto-Trans–New Guinea vowels are reconstructed as having a cross-linguistically frequent five-vowel system:

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Pronouns

Ross reconstructs the following pronominal paradigm for Trans–New Guinea, with ''*a~*i'' ablaut for singular~non-singular:

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There is a related but less commonly attested form for 'we', ''*nu'', as well as a ''*ja'' for 'you', which Ross speculates may have been a polite form. In addition, there were dual suffixes ''*-li'' and ''*-t'', and a plural suffix ''*-nV'', (i.e. ''n'' plus a vowel) as well as collective number suffixes ''*-pi-'' (dual) and ''*-m-'' (plural) that functioned as inclusive we when used in the first person. (Reflexes of the collective suffixes, however, are limited geographically to the central and eastern highlands, and so might not be as old as proto-Trans–New Guinea.)

Morphology

Studies group Madang, Finisterre-Huon, and Kainantu-Goroka together as part of a larger ''Northeast New Guinea'' (NENG) group on the basis of morphological evidence, such as mutually reconstructable verbal suffixes that mark subject:

;Proto-Northeast New Guinea subject-marking verbal suffixes

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;Comparison of reconstructions of subject-marking verbal suffixes

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Lexicon

Lexical words, such as ''*niman'' 'louse', may also be reconstructed:

::''Reflexes of ''*niman'' 'louse', which attest to an intermediate ''*iman'' in the east:''
:Chimbu–Wahgi: Mid/Nuclear Wahgi
:Engan: Enga & Kewa
:Finisterre–Huon: Kâte , Selepet
:Gogodala
:Kainantu–Goroka: Awa , Tairora , Fore , Gende
:Southern Kiwai
:Koiarian: Managalasi
:Kolopom: Kimaghama , Riantana
:Kwale
:Madang: Kalam , Watiwa (Rai Coast) , Sirva (Adelbert)
:Mek: Kosarek
:Marori
:Paniai Lakes: Ekari ( metathesis?)
:Timor–Alor–Pantar: Western Pantar , Oirata (metathesis?)
:Wiru
::Questionable branches:
:Pauwasi: Yafi
:Central Sentani

The Proto-Trans–New Guinea negative is reconstructed as ''*ma-''. Negatives in Trans–New Guinea languages usually have either an ''mV''- or ''nV''- form.
* ''*mV'' (often ''*ma''): Angaatɨha ( Angan); Apalɨ, Waskia, Kalam (Madang); Kâte, Kombe ( Finisterre-Huon)
* ''*na'' ~ ''*naa'': Awara ( Finisterre-Huon); Enga, Ku Waru, Middle Wahgi ( Chimbu-Wahgi); Oksapmin

Reconstructions

Lexical comparison

, , ;
, -
! Kutubu
! Proto- Lake Kutubu
, *uni , , *iti , , , , *hʲĩ , , *sabe , , *mete , , *atu , , *kotage , , , , *kigi , , *ga /u, , *hʲokõ
, -
! Enga-Kewa-Huli
! Enga (Sari dialect)
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
, -
! Wiru
! Wiru
, , , , ; , , , , , , , , , , ; , , , , , , , , , ,
, -
! Chimbu-Wahgi
! Kuman
, , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , , , , , ; , , ; ; , , ; , , , , ;
, -
! Madang
! Proto-Madang
, *gat(a,i)(m) , , *imunu , , *kaun(i) , , *amu , , *mutu(gu) , , *make , , *mele , , *kani(n) , , *ka(d,r)a; *kara , , *kwaten , , *ga(n,r)a , , *amu(na)
, -
! Finisterre
! Mungkip
, , , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , , , ; , , , , , , ; , , , ,
, -
! Huon
! Selepet
, , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , , , , , ; , , ; , , ;
, -
! Kainantu-Goroka
! Proto- Eastern Kainantu-Goroka
, *-'no-N; *pia- , , , , *ä-Q-ra-N , , , , *-hi-Q , , , , *-mäpi-V , , , , *nade-V , , , , , , *nä-N
, -
! Kainantu-Goroka
! Proto- Eastern Kainantu
, *piᵄtɐ , , *jɐᵘsi , , *ɑːtoː , , *wu , , *ipi , , *wɐⁱ , , *m₂ɑːpiɾi , , *ipu , , *wi �tpɐ , , *muʔjɑːni , , , , *nɑːNmɐ
, -
! Kainantu-Goroka
! Proto- Northern Kainantu
, *noːN , , *jɐᵘ , , *ɑːʔ , , *u , , *siʔ , , *wɐj , , * /nɐⁱ]piɾ , , *tɐɾ , , *nɑːɾeː , , *(ɐ-)jɐNpɐ , , , , *nɑːN
, -
! Angan
! ISO 639:smb, Simbari
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
, -
! Turama-Kikori
! Proto- Rumu-Omati
, *mab , , *b u , , *go̝ , , *isĩ , , *ju , , *magu , , , , *tãᵋ , , , , *tab , , , , *sõ̝
, -
! Goilalan
! Fuyug
, , ; , , ; , , , , ; , , ; , , , , , , , , , , , , ; , ,
, -
! Goilalan
! Tauade
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
, -
! Greater Binanderean
! Proto-Binandere
, *ciro; *giti , , *tu , , , , *dibe; *diti , , , , *di , , *VwVwV , , , , *ju; *orrә , , *bobo; *wetu , , *tamә , , *ami
, -
! Koiarian
! Proto-Koiarian
, , , *fómo , , , , *ni , , *uri , , , , , , , , *taɣo , , , , *vata , , *amu
, -
! Kwalean
! Proto-Kwalean (Ross)
, , , *iku(va) , , , , *(u)bu(i)vi(ma) , , *ʒaʒore , , *vono(ne); *wano(ne) , , , , , , *ruu , , *esi(ne) , , *ahiri , , *n(a)u(ne)
, -
! Kwalean
! Proto- Humene-Uare (Usher)
, , , *igu , , , , *ubuma , , *jajɔɾɛ , , *ɣɔnɔnɛ , , *majanɛ , , *ɔda , , *ɾɔo̝ , , *e̝tinɛ , , *ahe̝ɾe̝ , , *nuunɛ
, -
! Manubaran
! Proto-Manubaran (Ross)
, *ada , , *weʔia , , *ane-ma , , *ne(u) , , *uru-ma , , *gade , , *afie , , * ,y-ka , , , , *nena , , *roʔ(o,a) , ,
, -
! Manubaran
! Proto- Mount Brown (Usher)
, *ada , , *u /k , , *anema , , *ne , , *uɾuma , , *gade , , *api , , , , *daweʔa , , *nena , , *ɾoʔo , , *sisu
, -
! Yareban
! Proto-Musa River
, *bo-tai , , *idi , , *ome , , *nai-tai , , *iboʔo , , *ni � , , *meana , , *buɾi , , *iwa , , *tai , , *ope , , *ama
, -
! Mailuan
! Mailu (Ilai dialect)
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
, -
! Dagan
! Daga
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

For other lexical comparison tables of Papuan languages, see also:
* West Papuan languages#Lexical comparison
* West Bomberai languages#Lexical comparison
* West Papuan Highlands languages#Lexical comparison
* Northwest Papuan languages#Lexical comparison
* Trans-Fly–Bulaka River languages#Lexical comparison
* Papuan Gulf languages#Lexical comparison
* Torricelli languages#Lexical comparison
* Sepik–Ramu languages#Lexical comparison
* East Papuan languages#Lexical comparison

See also

* List of Proto-Trans-New Guinea reconstructions (Wiktionary)

;Synchronic reflexes
* Madang languages#Evolution
** Kalam language#Evolution
** Apali language#Evolution
* Finisterre–Huon languages#Evolution
** Kâte language#Evolution
** Selepet language#Evolution
* Kainantu–Goroka languages#Evolution
* Engan languages#Evolution
* Chimbu–Wahgi languages#Evolution
** Wahgi language#Evolution
* East Strickland languages#Evolution
* Greater Awyu languages#Evolution
** Mandobo language#Evolution
* Asmat–Kamrau languages#Evolution
** Asmat language#Evolution
* Ok languages#Evolution
** Telefol language#Evolution
* Marind–Yaqai languages#Evolution
* Paniai Lakes languages#Evolution
* Dani languages#Evolution
* Mek languages#Evolution
* Wiru language#Evolution
* Duna–Pogaya languages#Evolution
* Kutubuan languages#Evolution
* Kiwaian languages#Evolution
** Kiwai language#Evolution
* Tirio languages#Evolution
* Awin–Pa–Kamula languages#Evolution
* Kolopom languages#Evolution
* Morori language#Evolution
* Gogodala–Suki languages#Evolution
* Inland Gulf languages#Evolution
* Greater Binanderean languages#Evolution
** Binandere language#Evolution
* Mailuan languages#Evolution
* Dagan languages#Evolution
* Goilalan languages#Evolution
* Koiarian languages#Evolution
* Kwalean languages#Evolution
* Yareban languages#Evolution
* Manubaran languages#Evolution
* Timor–Alor–Pantar languages#Evolution

References

Bibliography

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Further reading

* Ross, Malcolm. 2014
Proto-Trans-New-Guinea
''TransNewGuinea.org''.

External links

TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea
(by Simon Greenhill)
Timothy Usher's Newguineaworld site

{{DEFAULTSORT:Proto-Trans-New Guinea
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Trans-New Guinea