Mek languages

The Mek languages are a well established family of Papuan languages spoken by the Mek peoples. They form a branch of the Trans–New Guinea languages (TNG) in the classifications of Stephen Wurm (1975) and of Malcolm Ross (2005).

Mek
Goliath
EthnicityMek people
Geographic
distribution
New Guinea
Linguistic classificationTrans–New Guinea
Glottologmekk1240
Map: The Mek languages of New Guinea
  The Mek languages
  Other Trans–New Guinea languages
  Other Papuan languages
  Austronesian languages
  Uninhabited

Mek, then called Goliath, was identified by M. Bromley in 1967. It was placed in TNG by Wurm (1975).

Languages

The Mek languages form three dialect chains (Heeschen 1998):

Proto-language

Phonemes

Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant and vowel inventories as 'perhaps' as follows:[2]

*m*n
*p*t*k*kʷ
*(m)b*(n)d*(ŋ)g*(ŋ)gʷ
*s
*w*l*j
iu
eo
ɛɔ
aɒ
eiou
ɛiɔu
aiau

Pronouns

Pronouns are:[2]

sgpl
1 *na*nu[n]
2 *kan*kun (?)
3 *ɛl *tun, *[t/s]ig

The difference between the two 3pl forms is not known. 2pl and 3pl have parallels in Momuna /kun tun/.

Basic vocabulary

Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:[2]

glossProto-MekProto-East MekKimyalProto-Northwest MekProto-Momuna-MekMomuna
hair/feather *p[ɔ]t[ɔ]ŋ*pɔtɔŋosoŋ*hɔŋ
ear/twelve *aᵓɔ*aᵓ
eye *atiŋ*asiŋisiŋ*haⁱŋ*ɒtigɒtù
tooth/sharp *jo̝*jo̝
tongue *se̝l[ija]mu*[se̝]l[ija]muselamu*se̝l[i]mu
foot/leg *jan*janjan*jan*j[a/ɒ]n
blood *e̝ne̝ŋ*ɪnɪŋeneŋ*e̝ne̝ŋ*jo̝ne̝g
bone *jɔk*jɔkjw-aʔ*jɔʔ[ɔ]
breast *mɔᵘm*mɔᵘmmoᵘm*mɔᵘm*mɔᵘmmɒ̃ᵘ
louse *ami*amiimi*ami*amiami
dog *gam*[k/g]amgam*gam*gɒmkɒ̀
pig *be̝sam*bɪsam*bhamwɒ́
bird *mak, *mag*mak-ma (?)*-ma (?)*mak
egg/fruit/seed *do̝[k]*dʊkdo*do̝[k]dɒko ~ dɒku
tree/wood *galgal*gal*gɒlkɒ̀
woman/wife *ge̝l*[k/g]ɪlgel*ge̝l
sun *k[ɛ]t[e̝]ŋ*k[ɛ]t[ɪ]ŋisiŋ*he̝ŋ
moon *wal*walwal*wal
water/river *m[ɛ/a]g*mɛkmag*m[ɛ/a]g
fire *o̝ᵘg*ʊᵘkug*[u]g
stone *gɛⁱl; *gidig*[k/g]ɛⁱlgirig*gidig
path/way *bi[t/s]ig*bi[t/s]ikbisig*bhig
name *si*sisi*si*sisi
eat/drink *de̝-(b)*dɪ-(b)de-*de̝-(b)de-
one *[na]tɔn*tɔnnason*nhɔn
two/ring finger *b[e̝/ɛ]te̝ne̝*b[ɪ/ɛ]tɪnɪbesene*bhe̝ne̝

Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from McElhanon & Voorhoeve (1970),[3] Voorhoeve (1975),[4] and Heeschen (1978),[5] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:[6]

glossEipomekKorapun-SelaNalcaUnaYale, KorsarekKetengban
head kiisokasakhukheiyɔ´; khe yokgiso
hair fotongasuŋhoŋotoŋhong; hɔŋpotong
ear amolamaléamol
eye asingisiŋhiŋatsiŋheiŋ; hɩngasorue
nose uuuryamu
tooth siisisitsisitsi
tongue sii tangselemúlyemngwe
leg yan saŋyanyanyan
louse amnyewutnavuamnyaami; ami´amnye
dog kamkʰam; khamkamkamkam
pig basamphamphamudukpam; phambesam
bird makewinaŋwiniŋmaiwinang; winaŋma
egg dukwaŋgadougwinaŋ wana; winang wangkádo
blood ininginiŋiniŋeneŋ; iningyabye
bone yokeiaŋ birinyogyok; youyo
skin boxaphokkon
breast taramsaramtaram
tree yokal; khalkal; khalkalco
man niminimnimi
woman kilapekəlabonerape
sky iimimim
sun ketingeisiŋhiŋhein; hɛnggetane
moon walewalware
water mekmakmekmeyemakme
fire uukweukukukeouk̂; owukwe
stone kedingekhirikkirikwaliŋkirikgil
road, path biisiikbibisi
name siiutnimisisisi
eat dibmaldilomkwaːniŋel dilamla; tiu loŋajibmar
one tonthoxunoknhonotunohon; se'lektegen
two bisinipheinpɛndɛ; phendebitini

Evolution

Mek reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma are:[7]

Eipo language:

  • mun ‘belly’ < *mundun ‘internal organs’
  • kuna ‘shadow’ < *k(a,o)nan
  • saŋ ‘dancing song’ < *saŋ
  • getane ‘sun’ < *kVtane

Bime language:

  • mundo ‘belly’ < *mundun ‘internal organs’

Kosarek language:

  • ami ‘louse’ < *niman
  • si ‘tooth’ < *(s,t)i(s,t)i
  • tomo < *k(i,u)tuma ‘night’

Yale language:

  • de ‘to burn’ < *nj(a,e,i)
  • mon ‘belly’ < *mundun ‘internal organs’
  • xau ‘ashes’ < *kambu

Further reading

  • Heeschen, Volker. 1978. The Mek languages of Irian Jaya with special reference to the Eipo language. Irian 7(2): 3–46.
  • Heeschen, Volker. 1992. The position of the Mek languages of Irian Jaya among the Papuan languages: History, typology and speech. Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 148(3/4): 465–488.

References

  1. Momuna–Mek, New Guinea World
  2. New Guinea World
  3. McElhanon, K.A. and Voorhoeve, C.L. The Trans-New Guinea Phylum: Explorations in deep-level genetic relationships. B-16, vi + 112 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1970. doi:10.15144/PL-B16
  4. Voorhoeve, C.L. Languages of Irian Jaya: Checklist. Preliminary classification, language maps, wordlists. B-31, iv + 133 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1975. doi:10.15144/PL-B31
  5. Heeschen, V. 1978. The Mek languages of Irian Jaya with special reference to the Eipo language. Irian 2: 3-67.
  6. Greenhill, Simon (2016). "TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea". Retrieved 2020-11-05.
  7. Pawley, Andrew; Hammarström, Harald (2018). "The Trans New Guinea family". 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. 21–196. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
  • Ross, Malcolm (2005). "Pronouns as a preliminary diagnostic for grouping Papuan languages". In Andrew Pawley; Robert Attenborough; Robin Hide; Jack Golson (eds.). Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. 15–66. ISBN 0858835622. OCLC 67292782.
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