Proto-Trans–New Guinea language
Proto-Trans–New Guinea is the reconstructed proto-language ancestral to the Trans–New Guinea languages. Reconstructions have been proposed by Malcolm Ross and Andrew Pawley.
Phonology
Proto-Trans–New Guinea is reconstructed with a typical simple Papuan inventory: five vowels ; three phonations of stops at three places,, ; plus a palatal affricate, the fricative, and the approximants. Syllables are typically V, with CVC possible at the ends of words. Many of the languages have restricted tone systems.The Proto-Trans–New Guinea vowels are reconstructed as having a cross-linguistically frequent five-vowel system:
Pronouns
Ross reconstructs the following pronominal paradigm for Trans–New Guinea, with *a~*i ablaut for singular~non-singular:There is a related but less commonly attested form for 'we', *nu, as well as a *ja for 'you', which Ross speculates may have been a polite form. In addition, there were dual suffixes *-li and *-t, and a plural suffix *-nV, as well as collective number suffixes *-pi- and *-m- that functioned as inclusive we when used in the first person.
Morphology
Studies group Madang, Finisterre-Huon, and Kainantu-Goroka together as part of a larger Northeast New Guinea group on the basis of morphological evidence, such as mutually reconstructable verbal suffixes that mark subject:;Proto-Northeast New Guinea subject-marking verbal suffixes
;Comparison of reconstructions of subject-marking verbal suffixes
Lexicon
Lexical words, such as *niman 'louse', may also be reconstructed:The Proto-Trans–New Guinea negative is reconstructed as *ma-. Negatives in Trans–New Guinea languages usually have either an mV- or nV- form.*mV : Angaatɨha ; Apalɨ, Waskia, Kalam ; Kâte, Kombe *na ~ *naa: Awara ; Enga, Ku Waru, Middle Wahgi ; Oksapmin
Lexical comparison
| family | language | head | hair | ear | eye | nose | tooth | tongue | leg | blood | bone | skin | breast |
| Trans–New Guinea | Proto-Trans–New Guinea | *kobutu; *kVutu; *mUtUna; *mVtVna | *iti; *umu; *zumun | *kaC; *katC; *tVmV | *gmu; *ŋgmu; *iti ; *nVpV | *mundu; *mutu | *magata; *maŋgat; *titi | *balaŋ; *mbilaŋ; *mee; *mee | *kani; *kondC; *kitu | *kea; *kesa | *kondaC; *kwata | *gatapu; *aapu | *amu |
| West Bomberai | Proto-Mbaham–Iha | *kaˈnda | *kʷⁱɛr | *wⁱɛk | *ˈtɔkar | *pak | *sɔn | ||||||
| Asmat–Kamoro | Proto-Asmat–Kamrau | *uɸu | *ɸini | *jiɸne | *manaN | *miC | *siC | *komane | *mawu | *ese | *eake | *awo | |
| Ok–Oksapmin | Proto-Ok-Oksapmin | *kiin | *duum | *fVŋ | *xeim | ||||||||
| Greater Awyu | Proto-Awyu-Dumut | *kɑibɑn; *xaiban | *möxö; *muk; *ron | *turun | *kerop | *togut | *fɔgat; *fɔgɛt; *pogɑt | *gom | *kɑt; *xa | *ɑm; *om | |||
| Kayagaric | Proto-Gondu River | *toxom | *upm | *itipaːm | *sakam | *jup | *oom | *maetap | *apit | *jes | *nomop | *pip | *etum |
| Kolopom | Proto-Kolopom | *tipV; *mVrV | *muen | ? *mVrVk; *an | *VnV | *ŋgon | *trk | *mepreŋg | *iendz | *mam | |||
| Anim | Proto-Fly River | *kindV | *kam | *sas | *mbaiŋg; *ɸia | ||||||||
| Anim | Proto-Inland Gulf | *gia | *tu; *jeja | *kuɸino | *dasi | *ta; *bese | *koda; *sasa | *idini | *ɸia | *nikopi; *koipo | *jono | ||
| Anim | Proto-Lower Fly River | *duɾumə; *duɾum | *towap | *baɾid | *miw | *suwə; *kam; *su | *jimə; *jim | *nauɾə | *naɾak; *baig | *bub | |||
| Anim | Proto-Marind | *pa | *kembet, *kambet | *kind | *aŋgi₂p | *maŋgat | *inum | *tegu | *do | *haiau, *hiau | *ugu | *bub | |
| Marori | Morori | merao | pu | ayix | terox | tegu | ŋgorom | ŋgwar | par | ||||
| Gogodala-Suki | Gogodala | ganabi | tita | igibi | tao | mina | poso | mɛlɛpila | gosa | kaka | omo | ||
| Kiwaian | Proto-Kiwai | *kepuɾu | *mus | *gaɾe | *idomaɾi | *wodi | *ibo | *uototoɾoe | *sakiɾo | *kaɾima; *sai | *soɾo | *tama | *amo |
| Paniai Lakes | Ekari (Paniai Lake dialect) | migo | iyo | peka | juma | egó | etá | emo | mitoo | kadó | ama | ||
| Dani | Dani, Lower Grand Valley (Tangma dialect) | mʋkkʋl-oak | nesi | nesakko | neil-ekken | namisaŋ | naik | namili | mep | noak | nakap | neilak | |
| Somahai | Momuna | toko | toko-ate | otu | ija | i jo-ku | janɨ | toko | ke | ||||
| Mek | Proto-Mek | *ptŋ | *aᵓ | *atiŋ | *jo̝ | *se̝lmu | *jan | *e̝ne̝ŋ | *jɔk | *mɔᵘm | |||
| Awin-Pa | Proto-Kamula-Elevala | *ke̝ba | *md | *kinɔ | *kine̝ | *bate̝ | *taⁱ | *tama | *ke̝dɔ | ||||
| East Strickland | Gobasi | ulʌkib | o dɔsɔ | dulo | hiɔ̃ | mina | mɔi | ili | hɔma | sõho | kib | kɔlɔf | tɔnu |
| Duna-Bogaya | Duna | kuni | hini | kɔhane; konane | le | kuma | ne; nee | ogone; ɔgɔne | tia | kuyila | kuni | pulu | abu; adu; amu |
| Duna-Bogaya | Bogaya | yeľʌ; yela | heepi; yeľʌ eľika | hona; hɔnʌn | kina; ki:nʌn | kuuma; pfouľu | yagai; yʌkʌi | iki; ɩkin | yehei; yehʌi | sokoya; yesʌ | hakale; hʌv̧ʌľe | hugwa; hukuʌn | alu; ʌľu |
| Bosavi | Kaluli | mise; misẽ | misẽ fɔ̃; mise foon | kenẽ; malo | si | migi | beso; bis | eʌn; sano | gidaafoo; gip | hɔbɔ; hooboo | ki | dɔgɔf; toogoof\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\a,o\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\o,ea,i\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\u,o\\\\\\\\\\\\ |