Waskia language
Waskia is a Papuan language of Papua New Guinea. It is spoken on half of Karkar Island, and a small part of the shore on the mainland, by 20,000 people; language use is vigorous. The Waskia share their island with speakers of Takia, an Oceanic language which has been restructured under the influence of Waskia, which is the inter-community language. Waskia has been documented extensively by Malcolm Ross and is being further researched by Andrew Pick.
Waskia is spoken in Tokain, a village in Malas ward, Sumgilbar [Rural LLG] on the coast of mainland New Guinea, and on Karkar Island, with the island and mainland varieties being lexically divergent from each other.
Phonology
Consonants
/ɡ/ can be pronounced as a fricative when in intervocalic positions.Vowels
Comparisons
Below are some Waskia lexical forms compared with Amako and Proto-Northern Adelbert.| gloss | Waskia | Amako | Proto-Northern Adelbert |
| hornbill | baram | bar | *baram |
| pig | buruk | bur | *buruk |
| sit | – | beng- | *bug- |
| year | barat | – | *barat |
| skin | guang | – | *guaŋ |
| thick | gurum | uŋur | *gurum |
| liver | gomang | gom | *gemaŋ |
| turn | gira- | girka- | *girik- |
| breadfruit | – | kid | *kidar |
| banana | – | kud | *kudi |
| lime | kaur | ka | *kapur |
| day, sun | kam | – | *kam |
| nape | komang | kumandup | *kumaŋ |
| plate | tawir | taw | *tabir |
| LOC | te | te | *te |
| rain | tiwik | tiv | *tik |