Asmat | |
---|---|
Ethnicity | Asmat, Citak |
Geographic distribution | Asmat Regency and Mappi Regency, South Papua |
Linguistic classification |
Trans–New Guinea
|
Subdivisions | |
Glottolog | asma1257 |
Asmat is a Papuan language cluster of South Papua.
The principal varieties, distinct enough to be considered separate languages, are: [1]
Ethnically, speakers are either Asmat or Citak.
Below are some reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea proposed by Pawley (2012): [3]
proto-Trans-New Guinea | Asmat (Flamingo Bay) |
---|---|
*maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’ | me |
*(m,mb)elak ‘light, lightning’ | mer |
*niman ‘louse’ | (Kamoro namo) |
*na- ‘eat’ | na- |
*ni, *nu ‘IPL’ | na ‘1PL.incl’, na(r) ‘1PL.excl’ |
*mun(a,i,u)ka ‘egg’ | manaka |
*niman ‘louse’ | (cf. Kamoro namo) |
*kasin ‘mosquito’ | isi |
*mbena ‘arm’ | man [ban] |
*mb(i,u)t(i,u)C ‘fingernail’ | fit |
*imbi ‘name’ | yipi |
*si(mb,p)at[V] ‘saliva’ | (me)sep |
*(mb,p)ututu- ‘to fly’ | (?) pimedial |
*kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’ | kuwus |
*inda ‘fire’ | (Central Coast Asmat isi) |
*tututu[ku] ‘straight’ | toror |
*k(i,u)tuma ‘night, morning’ | iram |
*tututu[ku] ‘straight’ | toror |
*ti, *titi ‘tooth’ | ji |
*ata ‘excrement’ | asa |
*(ŋg,k)atata ‘dry’ | soso |
*kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’ | kuwus |
*kasin ‘mosquito’ | (Citak Asmat isi) |
*inda ‘fire’ | (Central Coast Asmat isi) |
*ke(nj,s)a ‘blood’ | es |
*maŋgV ‘compact round object’ | moko-per ‘navel’ |
*mun(a,i,u)ka ‘egg’ | manaka |
*ke(nj,s)a ‘blood’ | es |
*kasin ‘mosquito’ | (Central Asmat isi) |
*k(i,u)tuma ‘night, morning’ | yiram |
*kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’ | kuwus |
*(m,mb)elak ‘light, lightning’ | (Flamingo Bay Asmat mer ‘lightning’) |
*ya ‘3SG’ | a |
In Flamingo Bay Asmat, light verbs are combined with adjuncts to form predicative expressions. [4]