Asmat languages


Asmat is a Papuan language cluster of South Papua.

Languages

The principal varieties, distinct enough to be considered separate languages, are:
Ethnically, speakers are either Asmat or Citak.

Evolution

Below are some reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea proposed by Pawley :
proto-Trans-New GuineaAsmat
*maŋgat ‘teeth, mouth’me
*elak ‘light, lightning’mer
*niman ‘louse’
*na- ‘eat’na-
*ni, *nu ‘’na ‘., na ‘.’
*munka ‘egg’manaka
*niman ‘louse’
*kasin ‘mosquito’isi
*mbena ‘arm’man
*mbtC ‘fingernail’fit
*imbi ‘name’yipi
*siat ‘saliva’sep
*ututu- ‘to fly’ pimedial
*kVt ‘head’kuwus
*inda ‘fire’
*tututu ‘straight’toror
*ktuma ‘night, morning’iram
*tututu ‘straight’toror
*ti, *titi ‘tooth’ji
*ata ‘excrement’asa
*atata ‘dry’soso
*kVt ‘head’kuwus
*kasin ‘mosquito’
*inda ‘fire’
*kea ‘blood’es
*maŋgV ‘compact round object’moko-per ‘navel’
*munka ‘egg’manaka
*kea ‘blood’es
*kasin ‘mosquito’
*ktuma ‘night, morning’yiram
*kVt ‘head’kuwus
*elak ‘light, lightning’
*ya ‘’a

Verbs

In Flamingo Bay Asmat, light verbs are combined with adjuncts to form predicative expressions.
  • e- ‘do’
  • *atow e- /play do/ ‘play’
  • *caj e- /copulate do/ ‘copulate’
  • *yan e- /ear do/ ‘listen’
  • yi- ‘say’
  • *po yi- /paddle say/ ‘paddle’
  • *yan yi- /ear say/ ‘hear’
  • *mesa yi- /saliva say/ ‘spit’
  • af- ‘hit’
  • *yaki af- /sneeze hit/ ‘sneeze’
  • *namir af- /death hit/ ‘die’
  • *omop af- /blow hit/ ‘beat’