Baliem Valley languages


The Dani or Baliem Valley languages are a family of clearly related Trans–New Guinea languages spoken by the Dani and related peoples in the Baliem Valley in the Highland Papua, Indonesia. Foley considers their Trans–New Guinea language group status to be established. They may be most closely related to the languages of Paniai Lakes, but this is not yet clear. Capell posited that their closest relatives were the Kwerba languages, which Ross rejects.

Languages

Larson divided the family into three branches based on lexicostatistics, and Nggem was later added as a fourth. The Ngalik languages are very poorly attested.
Usher reconstructs the consonant inventory as follows. This is identical to the reconstruction of Bromley apart from adding the rare consonants *pʷ and *mbʷ, and the possible additional vowel *ɐ.
FrontCentralBack
Close*i*u
Near-close*ɪ*ʊ
Mid*e*o
Open*a

And the diphthongs *ei, *ou, *ai, *au.

Pronouns

Ross reconstructs the independent pronouns and possessive/object prefixes of Central Dani as:

Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from Bromley and Voorhoeve, as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.
The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate or not.
glossDani
Lower Grand Valley 		Dani
Lower Grand Valley 		Dani
Lower Grand Valley		Dani
Mid Grand Valley		Dani
Upper Grand Valley		Dani
Western		WalakSilimo SilimoYali
Angguruk		Yali
Pass Valley
headmʊkkʊl-oakmʊkkʊl-oaknukul-oaqnʊgʊl-oaknanupahaneb; anobaknalupaknaŋgulnagʊlnʊgʊlhou
hairnesinesinesinesineetieeɾuwak; netinitinenasunasunotukhoŋ
earnesakkonesakkonasuknatuk aɾuknatuk nesagonɪsago
eyeneil-ekkenneil-ekkenneil-ekennel-egennenekenenegen; negennilnələŋgennɪlegennɪlhəŋ
nosenappisannamisaŋnakouwak-oaknakapakogobaknokopaknebijaŋnabijaŋ
toothnaiknaiknaiknaiknɪkneiknaikneniaknɪak; neaknajeksi
tonguenamelinamilina∂inamɪlɪamelanatðinemakenabilikagen
legnesoqiyok; owakyan saŋ
lousenapɪnapɪnavinapɪnapɪabeenapɪnekepɪ; pɪpɪam
dogjekkejekkeyakejegegewogewo; nggewogewoyeŋgemenemenekam
pigwamwamwamwamwa:nwamwamwamwamwammeya
birdsʊesʊesuetʊetewetewe; towetewetuwesʊesuwewinaŋ
eggsʊe-kkensʊe-kkensue-kentʊe-gentewe-genekotewe-geneŋgensʊe-egensuwe-genwinaŋ won
bloodmepmepmepmepmepamiya; muyamepmepgete; mepiniŋ
bonenoaknoaknoaqnoaknowakanoowaknowaknʊaknoakyok
skinnoatnakapnaxapnoatðonakatloagabelonakatðonakapnakappok
breastneilakneilakniðaknelakelakneðaknakamʊnak
treeoeeoejoeyoobeneee
manapapapapapapapapnimnya
womanhe; hɪmɪhe; hʊmɪhekwekwekwamɪkeap
skymbogut
sunmomomomʊlɪgɪmooonegen; yawomo; o-ilmomohin
moontukitukitʊttʊttuttʊtdukibikkalem
wateriiiijimio; nio; niyoi; iesikiktin
firehettoukettuetuhɪdʊ ɪdʊ endo; kaniiduendukodʊkidokuk
stonehelephelephelephelegit jʊkumyugum; yukumgit kəlipkelepkelepkirik
road, pathke; kwekweholak-aðemtuwantuwanepelapʊgalem
nameettakeettakeeraxeedaka edaka endage; etaxeedakaonukunuknimnya
eatnamennamen!; ne-; nenggenənəm-emennamɪn etiŋ
onemakke-at; pakke-atoppakke-atopake-atbagɪ-atabɪambe; ambitomagi-atambuimesikmɪsɪksendeik
twopete; pɪtep:ieperebete bete bere; mbeɾebeteperebitenbitenphenep

Evolution

Dani reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea etyma are:
Grand Valley Dani language:
  • 'man' <
  • 'tongue' <
  • 'hair' <
  • 'come' <
  • 'new' <
Western Dani language:
  • 'man' <
  • <
  • 'tongue' <
  • 'new' <
  • 'leg' <
  • 'skin' <
  • 'tree' <
Ngalik language:
  • 'tree' <
  • 'breast' <
  • 'full' <
  • 'smoke' <