Bosavi languages


The Bosavi or Papuan Plateau languages belong to the Trans-New Guinea language family according to the classifications made by Malcolm Ross and Timothy Usher. This language family derives its name from Mount Bosavi and the Papuan Plateau.
Geographically, the Bosavi languages are situated to the east and south of the East Strickland group. They can be found around Mount Bosavi, located east of the Strickland River and southwest of the western edge of the central highlands of Papua New Guinea. Although no extensive subgrouping analysis has been conducted, Shaw's lexicostatistical study in 1986 provides some insights.
Based on this study, it is indicated that Kaluli and Sonia exhibit a significant lexical similarity of 70%, which is higher than any other languages compared. Therefore, it is likely that these two languages form a subgroup. Similarly, Etoro and Bedamini share a subgroup with a lexical similarity of 67%. The languages Aimele, Kasua, Onobasulu, and Kaluli-Sunia exhibit more shared isoglosses among themselves than with the Etoro-Bedamini group. Some of these shared isoglosses are likely to be innovations.

Languages

The languages, which are closely related, are:
  • Mount Bosavi: Kaluli–Sonia, Aimele, Kasua
  • Onobasulu
  • Mount Sisa: Edolo–Beami
  • Dibiyaso
It is worth noting these languages share at best 70% lexical similarity, as in the case of Kaluli–Sonia and Edolo–Beami. The rest of related languages likely share around 10–15% lexical similarities.
The unity of the Bosavi languages was quantitatively demonstrated by Evans and Greenhill.
Palmer et al. consider Dibiyaso to be a language isolate.

Pronouns

Pronouns are:

Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from the Trans-New Guinea database:
The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate or not.
glossAimeleBeamiBiamiEdoloKaluliKaluli
KasuaOnabasuluSonia
headmufatialuna; tiarumatalubab~pusʌmise; misẽpesʌibizei; pesaikunieneipi
hairmufa fɔnɔhinabu; osahinabob~pusʌ henimisẽ fɔ̃; mise foonmedafɔnbizei fʌnu; pesaifanoalu; kuni alueneipi fɔn
earkelenikẽkȩkɛhekenẽ; malokælænkenane; kinɛlikɔheni; koneniekadem
eyesisisiisisisisisi
nosemigimimimigʌnimigimi; mĩmi; mĩmiki
toothbisipese; pẽsẽpesep~besebeso; bispesapapeseʌnenʌ
tonguedabisẽeri; kɔnɛ̃sukona̧suelieʌn; sanoinemtepe; tepɛeane; ɛanetʌbise
leginebiemoemoemɔgidaafoo; giponatu; unɛtuemo; emɔeisep
lousetedeimuimuimũfe; fẽtekeapearupai; pfɛi; fẽfi
dogãgiwæːme; weːmewæmiɔgɔnɔgasa; kasʌkasakasoro; kʌsorogesu; kesɔwɛi
pigkẽgebɔsuguʌkabɔkɔpɔľɔtɔfenekɛ
birdabɔmænihega; mænihayʌɔ̃bẽ; oloone; oobaaanemae; ɛnimhaga; hakaʌbɔ
eggabɔ us̪uɔsɔosoisɔɔ̃bẽ uš; usnatape; ufuhokaisu; sɔʌtʌm
bloodomanihæːľehealehiʌlehɔbɔ; hooboobebetʌ; pepetaibihʌbʌ
bonekikasa; kosokasakiwiːkiki; kiːkiwiuku
skinkãfukadofo; kadɔfɔkadofokʌdɔfɔdɔgɔf; toogoofkapokapo; kʌːpɔtomola; tɔmɔlaʌkʌf
breastbuːtoto; tɔtɔtototɔtɔbo; bubobɔ; pobubɔ
treeyebeifaifaiii; taiiyep
mankɔlutunutunu̧tɔnɔkalusenae; senɛinɔlɔ; inoroʌsenʌ
womankaisaleudaudaudiaga; kesali; kesarikesare; kesʌľeido; idɔnʌisɔʌ
sunofɔesɔ; eṣɔesoesɔof; ɔfopoɔbɔ; opoharo; hɔlɔof
moonoleaubiawbiaubeilikunɛi; opoaube; auboweľe
waterhãnihãlɔ̃; harõha̧loɔ̃tãhɔ̃n; hoonhoŋhano; hʌnɔ̃hano; hanɔmɔ͂
firedidaru; naludalunulude; didehomatos; teide; tide
stonedɔaigikeleigiuetewʌ; etoaabaneka
road, pathnɔgoisu
namewidiɔ; diɔ̃dioẽiwiunũwiimi
eatmayãna; nahana-imo-nahãːmayakinatapo; mɛnẽnamana; namenamenʌ
oneageliafaiafa̧i̧ageãgel; angelsemeti; tekeapeagaleitidi
twoageleweliadunãadunaagedua̧dep; ãdipɛľipiaganebo; aidaani