Upper Yuat languages

The Upper Yuat languages consist of two small language families, namely Arafundi and Piawi, spoken in the region of the upper Yuat River of New Guinea. The connection was first suggested by William A. Foley[2] and confirmed by Timothy Usher, who further links them to the Madang languages.[1]

Upper Yuat
Upper Yuat River
Geographic
distribution		Upper Yuat River watershed, Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classificationNortheast New Guinea and/or Trans–New Guinea
Subdivisions
GlottologNone

Upper Yuat languages display more typological similarities with Trans-New Guinea than the other neighboring language families of the Sepik-Ramu basin (namely the Lower Sepik-Ramu and Yuat families).[2] The Madang languages are frequently included in Trans–New Guinea classifications, but the connection is not yet demonstrated.

The Piawi languages are morphologically much simpler than the Arafundi languages.[2]

Pronouns

Pronouns are:[2]

Proto-Upper Yuat pronouns
sgpl
1 *ni*an ~ *aŋ
2 *na*ne
3 *nu

The individual languages are as follows:[2]

HarwayHagahaiPinai  Lower
Arafundi		Upper
Arafundi		Awiakay
1sg nɨ-ɡəŋɨ-ɡənɨ-ɡaɲɨŋniŋniŋ
2sg na-ɡona-ɣəna-ɡanannannan
3sg nu-ɡʷənə-ɣʷəanan
1du asasas
2/3du nɨɲnenneɲ
1pl an-ɡəan-ɡənanə-ɡaaŋaŋ
2/3pl ɲɨ-ɡəɲe-ɡəɲi-ɡanoŋnoŋnoŋ

3rd-person *nu (number uncertain) corresponds to Piawi 3 singular and Arafundi 2/3 plural, *ne to Piawi 2/3 plural and Arafundi 2/3 dual.

Phonology

Upper Yuat languages typically have 7 vowels:[2]: 236 

iɨu
eəo
a

References
  1. New Guinea World, Upper Yuat River
  2. 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.

Further reading
  • Davies, J. and Comrie, B. "A linguistic survey of the Upper Yuat". In Adams, K., Lauck, L., Miedema, J., Welling, F., Stokhof, W., Flassy, D., Oguri, H., Collier, K., Gregerson, K., Phinnemore, T., Scorza, D., Davies, J., Comrie, B. and Abbott, S. editors, Papers in New Guinea Linguistics No. 22. A-63:275-312. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1985. doi:10.15144/PL-A63.275
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