Amto–Musan languages
Amto–Musan is a language family of two closely related but mutually unintelligible Papuan languages, Amto and Siawi, spoken along the Samaia River of Sandaun Province of Papua New Guinea.
| Amto–Musan | |
|---|---|
| Samaia River | |
| Geographic distribution | Samaia River, Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea |
| Linguistic classification | Arai–Samaia or independent language family
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Glottolog | amto1249 |
Languages
Foley (2018) and Usher (2020) agree that the family consists of two languages.[1][2]
- Amto–Musan / Samaia River family
External relationships
Amto–Musan was left unclassified by Ross (2005) (see Papuan languages#Ross (2005)) due to lack of data; Wurm (1975) had posited it as an independent family. The family has typological similarities with the Busa language isolate, but these do not appear to demonstrate a genetic relationship.
Timothy Usher links the Amto–Musan languages to their neighbors, the Arai languages and the Pyu language in as Arai–Samaia stock.[3]
Foley (2018) classifies them separately as an independent language family.[1] Foley also notes that due to heavy contact and trade with Left May languages, Amto–Musan languages have borrowed much cultural vocabulary from Left May.[1]
Cognates
Amto-Musan family cognates listed by Foley (2018):[1]
Amto-Musan family cognates gloss Amto Musan ‘bad’ supuware pioware ‘bird’ ai ʔai ‘black’ towan tewane ‘breast’ ne ne ‘ear’ ye ʔe ‘eye’ mo mene ‘fire’ mari mari ‘leaf’ he sɛʔ ‘liver’ tei teʔ ‘louse’ nanu nanu ‘man’ kyu yɛnokono ‘mother’ ena inaʔ ‘nape’ tipiyari tibiare ‘older brother’ apɔ aboʔ ‘road’ mo mono ‘sago’ tɔ tawe ‘tongue’ həne hanɛ ‘tooth’ i ʔi ‘tree’ ami ameʔ ‘water’ wi wi
Possible cognates between the Amto-Musan and Left May families:[1]
Possible Amto-Musan family
and Left May family cognatesgloss Amto Musan Ama Nimo Owiniga ‘breast’ ne ne nano nɔ nano ‘arm’ næ naino ina ‘louse’ nani nanu ani eni ‘tooth’ i ʔi i i ‘water’ wi wi iwa wi bi
Possible loanwords reflecting the close trade relationship between Amto-Musan and Left May speakers:[1]
Vocabulary comparison
The following basic vocabulary words are from Conrad & Dye (1975),[4] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:[5]
gloss Amto Siawi head twæ nani hair (twæ) iwɔ nanigi ear ye eʔ eye mo mene nose ni Ǐimʌ tooth i ʔi tongue hæne; hʌne hanɛ louse nanu nani dog hɔ soː pig ma kinʌdiʔ bird ai ʔai egg aiː iǏɔ blood nʌkei hařʔ bone hae hařʔ skin ka ʔaoko breast ne ne tree amɩ ameʔ man kyu yɛnokono woman hama ʔeǏo water wiː wi fire maři maǏi stone tipeki tʌbɛki road, path mo mono eat meːne pe one ohu sʌmo two kiyaA himolo
References
- Foley, William A. (2018). "The Languages of the Sepik-Ramu Basin and Environs". 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. 197–432. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
- Samaia River, New Guinea World
- NewGuineaWorld, Arai and Samaia Rivers
- Conrad, R. and Dye, W. "Some Language Relationships in the Upper Sepik Region of Papua New Guinea". In Conrad, R., Dye, W., Thomson, N. and Bruce Jr., L. editors, Papers in New Guinea Linguistics No. 18. A-40:1-36. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1975. doi:10.15144/PL-A40.1
- Greenhill, Simon (2016). "TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea". Retrieved 2020-11-05.