Kiwaian languages

The Kiwaian languages form a language family of New Guinea. They are a dialect cluster of half a dozen closely related languages.^[1] They are grammatically divergent from the Trans–New Guinea languages, and typically have singular, dual, trial, and plural pronouns.^[2]

Kiwaian
Geographic distribution	Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classification	a primary language family
Language codes
Glottolog	kiwa1251
Map: The Kiwaian languages of New Guinea   The Kiwaian languages   Trans–New Guinea languages   Other Papuan languages   Austronesian languages   Uninhabited

Classification

The Trans–New Guinea identity of Kiwaiian is supported by a relatively large number of basic lexical items. Ross (2005) tentatively linked Kiwaiian to the erstwhile language isolate Porome. However, the evidence is only two pronouns, and the connection has not been accepted by other researchers.

Languages

• Kiwaian family: Kiwai, Bamu–Gama, Kerewo–Morigi, Waboda

Kiwaian languages and respective demographic information listed by Evans (2018) are provided below.^[3]

List of Kiwaian languages

Language	Location	Population	Alternate names
Southern Kiwai	Kiwai Rural LLG	20,000	Island Kiwai
Wabuda	Kiwai Rural LLG	2,750
Bamu	south Bamu Rural LLG	6,310
Northeast Kiwai	West Kikori Rural LLG	6,000	Urama
Kerewo	West Kikori Rural LLG	1,090
Morigi	West Kikori Rural LLG	?

Proto-language

Phonemes

Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant inventory as follows:^[4]

*m	*n
*p	*t	*s	*k
*b	*d		*g
*w	*ɾ

*i		*u
*e		*o
	*a

Pronouns

Usher (2020) reconstructs the pronouns as,^[4]

	sg	pl
1	*mo	*nimo
2	*oɾo	*nigo
3	?	*nei

Basic vocabulary

Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:^[4]

gloss	Proto-Kiwai
head/hair	*kepuɾu
hair/feather	*mus[ua]
ear	*gaɾe
eye	*idomaɾi
nose	*wodi
tooth	*ibo(-nVɾV)
tongue	*uototoɾo[p/b]e
leg/foot	*sakiɾo
blood	*kaɾima; *sa[w]i
bone	*soɾo
skin/bark	*tama
breast	*amo
louse	*nimo
dog	*[k]umu
bird	*wowogo
egg/fruit	*kikopu
tree	*nuk₂a; *kota
man/male	*dubu
woman	*oɾobo; *upi
sun/day	*saɾik₂i; *si[w]io
moon	*sagomi; *owe
water	*kobo
fire	*keɾa
stone	*(nok₂oɾa-)kopi
path	*gabo
name	*paini, *paina
eat/drink	*oɾuso (sg.), *iɾiso (pl.)
one	*nak[o/u]
two	*netoa

Evolution

See also: Kiwai language § Evolution

Kiwaian reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma are:^[2]

Southern Kiwai language:

• magota ‘mouth’ < *maŋgat[a]
• amo ‘breast < *amu
• gare ‘ear’ < *kand(e,i)k(V]
• pitu ‘fingernail’ < *mb(i,u)t(i,u)[C]
• baba ‘father’ < *mbapa
• sagana ‘moon’ < *takVn[V]
• tuwo ‘ashes’ < *sumbu
• era ‘tree’ < *inda
• nimo ‘louse’ < *niman
• epuru ‘head’ < *kV(mb,p)utu
• kopu ‘short’ < *kutu(p,mb)a
• abida ‘sister’ < *pi(n,nd)a

Other languages:

• Waboda kepuru < *kV(mb,p)utu
• Kerewo bena ‘shoulder’ < *mbena ‘arm’
• Morigi kota ‘leg’ < *k(a,o)ndok[V]
• N.E. Kiwai modi ‘nose’ < *mundu
• Bamu kukamu ‘cold’ < *kukam(o,u)