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.
Languages
There is little doubt that the Chimbu–Wahgi family is valid. The languages are:
Phonology
Several of the Chimbu–Wahgi languages have uncommon lateral consonants: 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[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
Further reading
External links
- Kaipuleohone archive of Chimbu-Wahgi language recordings
