Upper Yuat languages

The Upper Yuat languages consist of two small language families, namely Arafundi and Piawi, spoken in the region of the upper Yuat River of New Guinea. The connection was first suggested by William A. Foley^[2] and confirmed by Timothy Usher, who further links them to the Madang languages.^[1]

Upper Yuat
Upper Yuat River
Geographic distribution	Upper Yuat River watershed, Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classification	Northeast New Guinea and/or Trans–New Guinea Madang – Upper Yuat[1] Upper Yuat
Subdivisions	Arafundi Piawi
Language codes
Glottolog	None

Upper Yuat languages display more typological similarities with Trans-New Guinea than the other neighboring language families of the Sepik-Ramu basin (namely the Lower Sepik-Ramu and Yuat families).^[2] The Madang languages are frequently included in Trans–New Guinea classifications, but the connection is not yet demonstrated.

The Piawi languages are morphologically much simpler than the Arafundi languages.^[2]

Linguistic varieties

Foley (2018) lists the following linguistic varieties.^[2]

Upper Yuat

• Piawi languages: Harway (Wiyaw / Waibuk), Pinai-Hagahai (Pinaye, Aramo / Aramaue)
• Arafundi languages: Awiakay, Lower Arafundi, Upper Arafundi, Imboin

Pronouns

Reconstructions of Proto-Upper Yuat personal pronoun are:^[2]

Proto-Upper Yuat pronouns

	singular	plural
1st person	*ni	*an ~ *aŋ
2nd person	*na	*ne
3rd person	*nu

Personal pronouns in individual languages are as follows:^[2]

	Harway	Hagahai	Pinai		Lower Arafundi	Upper Arafundi	Awiakay
1SG	nɨ-ɡə	ŋɨ-ɡə	nɨ-ɡa		ɲɨŋ	niŋ	niŋ
2SG	na-ɡo	na-ɣə	na-ɡa		nan	nan	nan
3SG	nu-ɡʷə	nə-ɣʷə			an		an
1DU					as	as	as
2/3DU					nɨɲ	nen	neɲ
1PL	an-ɡə	an-ɡə	nanə-ɡa		aŋ		aŋ
2/3PL	ɲɨ-ɡə	ɲe-ɡə	ɲi-ɡa		noŋ	noŋ	noŋ

3rd-person *nu (number uncertain) corresponds to Piawi 3 singular and Arafundi 2/3 plural, *ne to Piawi 2/3 plural and Arafundi 2/3 dual.

Phonology

Upper Yuat languages typically have 7 vowels:^[2]: 236

i	ɨ	u
e	ə	o
	a