Koiarian languages

The Koiarian languages /kɔɪˈɑːriən/^[2] Koiari are a small family of Trans–New Guinea languages spoken in the "Bird's Tail" (southeastern peninsula) of New Guinea. They are classified within the Southeast Papuan branch of Trans–New Guinea.

Koiarian
Koiari – Managalas Plateau
Geographic distribution	Southeastern peninsula of Papua New Guinea: Central Province and Oro Province
Linguistic classification	Trans–New Guinea Papuan Peninsula Owen Stanley Range[1] Koiarian
Subdivisions	Koiari Baraic (Managalas Plateau)
Language codes
Glottolog	koia1260

Languages

The languages are:

• Koiaric branch (Koiari): Grass Koiari, Mountain Koiari–Koitabu
• Baraic branch (Managalas Plateau): Barai–Namiae, Ese (Managalasi), Ömie

Dutton (2010) classifies the Koiarian languages as:^[3]: 3

• Baraic
  • Ömie
  • Barai–Managalasi (incl. Namiae)
• Koiaric
  • Mountain Koiari
  • Koita – Grass Koiari

Proto-language

Pronouns

Usher (2020) reconstructs the pronouns as:^[1]

	sg	pl
1	*na	*no
2	*a	*ja
3	*aɸu	*[i/e]abu

Vocabulary

The following basic vocabulary words of Proto-Koiarian and other lower-level reconstructions are from the Trans-New Guinea database:^[4]

gloss	Proto-Koiarian	Proto-Koiariac	Proto-Baraic
head		*kina
hair	*fómo
ear			*gada
eye	*ni
nose	*uri
tooth			*gubai
tongue			*bitarV
leg			*díʔ-
louse	*ʔumu
dog		*to	*(ʔ,k)uo
pig		*ofo	*mafV
bird	*ugu[fa]
egg	*uni
blood	*taɣo
bone			*(ʔ)adV
skin	*vata
breast	*amu		*m(u,o)sV
tree	*idí
man		*ata	*baru
woman	*maɣina	*nigi
sun		*vani	*maja-; *ve
moon		*bata
water			*[i]do
fire	*vené
stone	*muni		*Umari
road, path		*ɣuma
name	*ifí
eat	*i-
one	*(i,o)gau		*Ogonu
two		*abu(t)i	*inoki

Evolution

Koiarian reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma are:^[5]

Koiari language:

• muka ‘lump’ < *maŋgV ‘round object’
• uni ‘egg’ < *mun(a,i,u)ka
• idu ‘tree’ < *inda
• iya ‘cassowary’ < *ku(y)a
• karika ‘dry’ < *(ŋg,k)atata
• muni ‘stone < *(na)muna
• nana ‘older same-sex sibling’ < *nan(a,i)
• u-tuvu ‘ashes’ < *kambu-sumbu

Managalasi language:

• ata ‘bone’ < *kondaC
• muka ‘lump’ < *maŋgV ‘round object’
• iha ‘name’ < *imbi
• uma ‘louse’ < *iman
• uka ‘bird’ < *yaka
• tuua ‘short’ < *tukumba[C]
• muna ‘stone’ < *(na)muna
• ija ‘tree’ < *inda
• otoka ‘knee’ < *(k,ŋg)atuk
• kora ‘dry’ < *(ŋg,k)atata

Phonotactics

Like the Binanderean languages, Barai and other Koiarian languages only allow for open syllables and do not allow final CVC.^[5]: 87