Chimbu–Wahgi languages

Chimbu–Wahgi
Simbu – Western Highlands
Geographic distribution	Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classification	Trans–New Guinea or Papuan Gulf? Central New Guinea Highlands Chimbu–Wahgi
Subdivisions	Chimbu Hagen Jimi Wahgi
Language codes
Glottolog	cent2120
Map: The Chimbu–Wahgi languages of New Guinea   Chimbu–Wahgi languages   Trans–New Guinea languages   Other Papuan languages   Austronesian languages   Uninhabited

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:

• Chimbu–Wahgi family
  • Chimbu (Simbu) branch
    • Kuman (Chimbu)
    • Chuave
    • Nomane
    • Golin–Dom
    • Salt-Yui
    • Sinasina
  • Western Highlands
    • Jimi River
      • Maring
      • Narak–Kandawo
    • Wahgi Valley
      • Nii
      • Wahgi
      • North Wahgi (= Yu We?)
    • Mount Hagen
      • Melpa (Medlpa)
      • Kaugel River
        • Imbo Ungu
        • Umbu-Ungu
        • Mbo-Ung (Bo-Ung)

Phonology

Several of the Chimbu–Wahgi languages, such as Nii, Wahgi, and Kuman, have uncommon lateral consonants.

Chimbu–Wahgi languages have contrastive tone.

Pronouns

The singular pronouns are:

	sg
1	*ná
2	*nim
3	*[y]é

Dual *-l and plural *-n reflect Trans–New Guinea forms.

Evolution

See also: Wahgi language § 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’

Further reading

• 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. doi:10.15144/PL-572. ISBN 0858835622. OCLC 67292782.
• Ross, Malcolm. 2014. Proto-Chimbu-Wahgi. TransNewGuinea.org.

External links

• Kaipuleohone archive of Chimbu-Wahgi language recordings