Northern Adelbert languages
The Northern Adelbert or Pihom–Isumrud languages are a family of twenty languages in the Madang stock of New Guinea. The occupy the coastal northern Adelbert Range of mountains directly opposite Karkar Island, as opposed to the Southern Adelbert languages, another branch of Madang.
Malcolm Ross posited a "linkage" connecting the Northern Adelbert languages with the Mabuso languages, and named this group Croisilles, as the two families bracket Cape Croisilles. However, Ross never claimed Croisilles was an actual language family, and other researchers have rejected the connection.
Languages
There are approximately 20 Northern Adelbert languages.Below is a comparison of Northern Adelbert language names in Pick and Z'graggen. A few alternate names from Capell are also given.
| Pick | Z'graggen | ISO 639-3 |
| Amako | Korak | koz |
| Barem | Bunabun, Bunubun | buq |
| Bargam | Mugil | mlp |
| Bepour | Bepour | bie |
| Gavak | Dimir | dmc |
| Hember Avu | Musar, Amben, Vanembere | mmi |
| Karian | Bilakura | bql |
| Kobol | Koguman | kgu |
| Kowaki | Kowaki | xow |
| Maia | Pila, Saki | sks |
| Maiani | Tani | tnh |
| Mala | Pay | ped |
| Miani | Tani, Banar | pla |
| Manep | Malas | mkr |
| Mauwake | Ulingan | mhl |
| Mawak | Mawak | mjj |
| Moere | Moere | mvq |
| Mokati | Wanambre | wnb |
| Pal | Abasakur | abw |
| Pamosu | Hinihon | hih |
| Parawen | Parawen | prw |
| Ukuriguma | Ukuriguma | ukg |
| Usan | Wanuma | wnu |
| Waskia | Waskia | wsk |
| Yaben | Yaben | ybm |
| Yarawata | Yarawata | yrw |
Classification
Croisilles was first posited by Malcolm Ross, not as an actual language family, but as a linkage. It was a merger of Wurm's Pihom-Isumrud-Mugil and Mabuso stocks, each of which contained 25–30 languages. Pick and Usher reject the merger, and provisionally the inclusion of Mugil, though Pick retains the name. Usher disambiguates the family as 'Adelbert Range'.Usher (2020)
Timothy Usher classifies the languages as follows.- Adelbert Range - Isumrud Strait
- *Kowan : Waskia, Korak
- * Adelbert Range
- **Yamben
- **Omosan : Pal, Kobol
- **Gilagil River
- *** Dimir
- *** : Brem, Malas
- **Northwest Adelbert Range
- ***Kaukombar River: Mala, Miani, Maia
- ***Kumil–Timper
- ****Kumil River: Bepour, Mauwake, Moere
- ****Tiboran River : Musar; Wanambre; Kowaki, Mawak, Pamosu
- **Mabulap–Numugen
- *** Amaimon isolate
- ***'''Numugen River'''
Pick (2020)
- Northern Adelbert languages
- *Manep–Barem languages: Manep, Barem
- *Kumil–Tibor languages
- **Kumil languages: Mauwake, Bepour, Moere
- **Tibor languages: Pamosu, Hember Avu, Mokati, Mawak, Kowaki
- *Numugen languages: Usan, Karian, Yaben, Yarawata, Parawen, Ukuriguma
- *Kaukombar languages: Maia, Mala, Miani, Maiani
- *Gavak
Pick (2017)
- Northern Adelbert
- *Kumil–Tibor
- **Tibor
- ***Mokati
- *** Kowaki, Mawak, Pamosu, Hember Avu
- **Kumil , *-k > zero]: Bepour, Mauwake, Moere
- *Kaukombar : Mala, Miani, Maiani, Maia
- *Manep–Barem
- **Manep
- **Barem
- *Gabak
- *Numugen
- *Amako–Waskia: Waskia, Korak
Proto-language
A phonological reconstruction of Proto-Northern Adelbert has been proposed by Pick.Phonology
Pick reconstructs the phonemes of Proto-Northern Adelbert as:| labial | alveolar | palatal | velar | |
| unvoiced stops | *p | *t | *k | |
| voiced stops | *b | *d | *g | |
| nasals | *m | *n | *ŋ | |
| fricatives | *s | |||
| laterals | *l | |||
| rhotics | *r | |||
| glides | *w | *y |
Four vowels are reconstructed by Pick : *a, *e, *i, *u. Although Northern Adelbert languages usually have the five vowels /a e i o u/, Pick does not consider *o to be reconstructable.
Pronouns
The Proto-Northern Adelbert pronouns are:Lexicon
Selected lexical reconstructions from Pick are listed below.| gloss | Proto-Northern Adelbert |
| ant | *mudir |
| ant sp. | *susur |
| bird | *muga |
| bird | *nebek |
| centipede | *wisir |
| chicken | *teteri |
| crayfish | *areker |
| crocodile | *tuar |
| eel | *melik |
| fly | *kuduruk |
| flying fox | *kepak |
| flying fox | *malabuŋ |
| frog | *idik |
| grasshopper | *takaw |
| grasshopper | *usa |
| hornbill | *baram |
| leech | *udirm |
| louse | *gun |
| mosquito | *kasin |
| night bird | *mum |
| night bird of prey | *kilal |
| palm cockatoo | *kkawin |
| pig | *buruk |
| pig, marsupial game animal | *wa |
| pitpit | *pia |
| snake | *duag |
| sunfly | *sisimur |
| Victoria crowned pigeon | *maur |
| gloss | Proto-Northern Adelbert |
| aibika greens | *iruar |
| aibika greens | *maiw |
| bamboo | *bik |
| banana | *kudi |
| betel pepper vine | *kupi |
| breadfruit | *kidar |
| coconut | *keta |
| firefly | *magam |
| mango | *pai |
| mushroom | *mutar |
| sago | *kamar |
| stinging nettle | *kbum |
| sugarcane | *kai |
| taro | *mam |
| tree | *ŋam |
| tree sp. | *teber |
| tulip tree | *kuari |
| type of greens | *muduru |
| gloss | Proto-Northern Adelbert |
| adze/axe | *ben |
| bow | *kemi |
| canoe | *wag |
| hand drum | *wag |
| house post | *bugaŋ |
| kundu drum | *kibem |
| loincloth | *siruw |
| platform, bed | *badim |
| signal drum, ironwood tree | *baner |
| spear | *uyaw |
| village | *kuaw |
Comparisons
Below is a list of Proto-Northern Adelbert forms that are descended from Proto-Trans–New Guinea.| gloss | Proto-Northern Adelbert | Proto-Trans–New Guinea |
| arm, hand | *waben | *mbena |
| older brother | *bab | *amba |
| blood | *ked | *kea |
| heart | *gemaŋ | *kamu |
| neck, nape | *kumaŋ | *kuma |
| mosquito | *kasin | *kasin |
| die | *um- | *kumV- |
| sleep | *in- | *kin- |
| know, hear, see | *ag- 'see' | *nVŋg- |
| NEG | *me | *ma- |
| water | *yag | *ok |
| leaf | *tak | *sasak |