Inland Gulf languages

The Inland Gulf languages are a family of Trans–New Guinea languages in the classifications of Stephen Wurm (1975) and Malcolm Ross (2005). The unity of the languages was established by K. Franklin in 1969. Although the family as a whole is clearly valid, Ipiko is quite distinct from the other languages.

Languages

Inland Gulf family

Ipiko language

Minanibai branch: Minanibai (Foia Foia), Mubami (Tao), Ukusi-Koparamio Hoia Hoia – Matakaia Hoia Hoia

Karami was once included, due to a large number of loanwords from Minanibai, but is best left unclassified for now.

Mahigi is also included by Pawley and Hammarström (2018).

Phonemes

Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant inventory as follows:

{ |

| *m || *n || ||

|-

| *p || *t || || *k

|-

| *b || *d || || *g

|-

| *ɸ || *s || ||

|-

| *w || [*ɾ] || *j || *ɣ̃

|}

Vowels are *a *e *i *o *u.

Pronouns

The pronouns are: { | ! !!sg!!pl |- !1 |*no||*ni |- !2 |*ɣ̃o||*jo |- !3m |*ete||rowspan=2|*eti |- !3f |*etu |}

Evolution

Inland Gulf reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma:

Hoia Hoia, Mubami, Ipiko de ‘tree’ < *inda

Hoia Hoia mo’noto, Ipiko manoto ‘mouth’ < *maŋgat[a] ‘mouth, teeth’

Mubami mo’moʔo, Hoiahoia mo’mo:ko ‘seed’ < *maŋgV

References

External links

Timothy Usher, New Guinea World, Proto–Inland Gulf

Languages of Papua New Guinea

Anim languages