This article should specify the language of its non-English content, using {{
lang}}, {{
transliteration}} for transliterated languages, and {{
IPA}} for phonetic transcriptions, with an appropriate
ISO 639 code. Wikipedia's
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Mek | |
---|---|
Goliath | |
Ethnicity | Mek people |
Geographic distribution | New Guinea |
Linguistic classification | Trans–New Guinea |
Glottolog | mekk1240 |
Map: The Mek languages of New Guinea
The Mek languages
Other Trans–New Guinea languages
Other Papuan languages
Austronesian languages
Uninhabited |
The Mek languages are a well established family of Papuan languages spoken by the Mek peoples. They form a branch of the Trans–New Guinea languages (TNG) in the classifications of Stephen Wurm (1975) and of Malcolm Ross (2005).
Mek, then called Goliath, was identified by M. Bromley in 1967. It was placed in TNG by Wurm (1975).
The Mek languages form three dialect chains (Heeschen 1998):
Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant and vowel inventories as 'perhaps' as follows: [2]
*m | *n | *ŋ | ||
*p | *t | *k | *kʷ | |
*(m)b | *(n)d | *(ŋ)g | *(ŋ)gʷ | |
*s | ||||
*w | *l | *j |
i | u | |
e | o | |
ɛ | ɔ | |
a | ɒ |
ei | ou |
ɛi | ɔu |
ai | au |
aɛ | aɔ |
Pronouns are: [2]
sg | pl | |
---|---|---|
1 | *na | *nu[n] |
2 | *kan | *kun (?) |
3 | *ɛl | *tun, *[t/s]ig |
The difference between the two 3pl forms is not known. 2pl and 3pl have parallels in Momuna /kun tun/.
Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are: [2]
gloss | Proto-Mek | Proto-East Mek | Kimyal | Proto-Northwest Mek | Proto-Momuna-Mek | Momuna |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
hair/feather | *p[ɔ]t[ɔ]ŋ | *pɔtɔŋ | osoŋ | *hɔŋ | ||
ear/twelve | *aᵓ | ɔ | *aᵓ | |||
eye | *atiŋ | *asiŋ | isiŋ | *haⁱŋ | *ɒtig | ɒtù |
tooth/sharp | *jo̝ | *jo̝ | jó | |||
tongue | *se̝l[ija]mu | *[se̝]l[ija]mu | selamu | *se̝l[i]mu | ||
foot/leg | *jan | *jan | jan | *jan | *j[a/ɒ]n | |
blood | *e̝ne̝ŋ | *ɪnɪŋ | eneŋ | *e̝ne̝ŋ | *jo̝ne̝g | |
bone | *jɔk | *jɔk | jw-aʔ | *jɔʔ[ɔ] | ||
breast | *mɔᵘm | *mɔᵘm | moᵘm | *mɔᵘm | *mɔᵘm | mɒ̃ᵘ |
louse | *ami | *ami | imi | *ami | *ami | ami |
dog | *gam | *[k/g]am | gam | *gam | *gɒm | kɒ̀ |
pig | *be̝sam | *bɪsam | *bham | wɒ́ | ||
bird | *mak, *mag | *mak | -ma (?) | *-ma (?) | *mak | má |
egg/fruit/seed | *do̝[k] | *dʊk | do | *do̝[k] | dɒko ~ dɒku | |
tree/wood | *gal | gal | *gal | *gɒl | kɒ̀ | |
woman/wife | *ge̝l | *[k/g]ɪl | gel | *ge̝l | ||
sun | *k[ɛ]t[e̝]ŋ | *k[ɛ]t[ɪ]ŋ | isiŋ | *he̝ŋ | ||
moon | *wal | *wal | wal | *wal | ||
water/river | *m[ɛ/a]g | *mɛk | mag | *m[ɛ/a]g | ||
fire | *o̝ᵘg | *ʊᵘk | ug | *[u]g | ||
stone | *gɛⁱl; *gidig | *[k/g]ɛⁱl | girig | *gidig | kè | |
path/way | *bi[t/s]ig | *bi[t/s]ik | bisig | *bhig | ||
name | *si | *si | si | *si | *si | si |
eat/drink | *de̝-(b) | *dɪ-(b) | de- | *de̝-(b) | de- | |
one | *[na]tɔn | *tɔn | nason | *nhɔn | ||
two/ring finger | *b[e̝/ɛ]te̝ne̝ | *b[ɪ/ɛ]tɪnɪ | besene | *bhe̝ne̝ |
The following basic vocabulary words are from McElhanon & Voorhoeve (1970), [3] Voorhoeve (1975), [4] and Heeschen (1978), [5] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database: [6]
gloss | Eipomek | Korapun-Sela | Nalca | Una | Yale, Korsarek | Ketengban |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
head | kiisok | asak | huk | heiyɔ´; khe yok | giso | |
hair | fotong | asuŋ | hoŋ | otoŋ | hong; hɔŋ | potong |
ear | amol | amalé | amol | |||
eye | asing | isiŋ | hiŋ | atsiŋ | heiŋ; hɩng | asorue |
nose | uu | uryam | u | |||
tooth | sii | si | si | tsi | si | tsi |
tongue | sii tang | selemú | lyemngwe | |||
leg | yan saŋ | yan | yan | yan | ||
louse | amnye | wutnavu | amnya | ami; ami´ | amnye | |
dog | kam | kʰam; kham | kam | kam | kam | |
pig | basam | pham | pham | uduk | pam; pham | besam |
bird | make | winaŋ | winiŋ | mai | winang; winaŋ | ma |
egg | duk | waŋga | doug | winaŋ wana; winang wangká | do | |
blood | ining | iniŋ | iniŋ | eneŋ; ining | yabye | |
bone | yoke | iaŋ birin | yog | yok; you | yo | |
skin | boxa | phok | kon | |||
breast | taram | saram | taram | |||
tree | yo | kal; khal | kal; khal | kal | co | |
man | nimi | nim | nimi | |||
woman | kilape | kəlabo | nerape | |||
sky | iim | im | im | |||
sun | ketinge | isiŋ | hiŋ | hein; hɛng | getane | |
moon | wale | wal | ware | |||
water | mek | mak | mek | meye | mak | me |
fire | uukwe | uk | uk | uke | ouk̂; ow | ukwe |
stone | kedinge | khirik | kirik | waliŋ | kirik | gil |
road, path | biisiik | bi | bisi | |||
name | sii | utnimi | si | si | si | |
eat | dibmal | dilom | kwaːniŋ | el dilamla; tiu loŋa | jibmar | |
one | ton | thoxunok | nhon | otunohon; se'lek | tegen | |
two | bisini | phein | pɛndɛ; phende | bitini |
Mek reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma are: [7]
This article should specify the language of its non-English content, using {{
lang}}, {{
transliteration}} for transliterated languages, and {{
IPA}} for phonetic transcriptions, with an appropriate
ISO 639 code. Wikipedia's
multilingual support templates may also be used. (July 2021) |
Mek | |
---|---|
Goliath | |
Ethnicity | Mek people |
Geographic distribution | New Guinea |
Linguistic classification | Trans–New Guinea |
Glottolog | mekk1240 |
Map: The Mek languages of New Guinea
The Mek languages
Other Trans–New Guinea languages
Other Papuan languages
Austronesian languages
Uninhabited |
The Mek languages are a well established family of Papuan languages spoken by the Mek peoples. They form a branch of the Trans–New Guinea languages (TNG) in the classifications of Stephen Wurm (1975) and of Malcolm Ross (2005).
Mek, then called Goliath, was identified by M. Bromley in 1967. It was placed in TNG by Wurm (1975).
The Mek languages form three dialect chains (Heeschen 1998):
Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant and vowel inventories as 'perhaps' as follows: [2]
*m | *n | *ŋ | ||
*p | *t | *k | *kʷ | |
*(m)b | *(n)d | *(ŋ)g | *(ŋ)gʷ | |
*s | ||||
*w | *l | *j |
i | u | |
e | o | |
ɛ | ɔ | |
a | ɒ |
ei | ou |
ɛi | ɔu |
ai | au |
aɛ | aɔ |
Pronouns are: [2]
sg | pl | |
---|---|---|
1 | *na | *nu[n] |
2 | *kan | *kun (?) |
3 | *ɛl | *tun, *[t/s]ig |
The difference between the two 3pl forms is not known. 2pl and 3pl have parallels in Momuna /kun tun/.
Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are: [2]
gloss | Proto-Mek | Proto-East Mek | Kimyal | Proto-Northwest Mek | Proto-Momuna-Mek | Momuna |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
hair/feather | *p[ɔ]t[ɔ]ŋ | *pɔtɔŋ | osoŋ | *hɔŋ | ||
ear/twelve | *aᵓ | ɔ | *aᵓ | |||
eye | *atiŋ | *asiŋ | isiŋ | *haⁱŋ | *ɒtig | ɒtù |
tooth/sharp | *jo̝ | *jo̝ | jó | |||
tongue | *se̝l[ija]mu | *[se̝]l[ija]mu | selamu | *se̝l[i]mu | ||
foot/leg | *jan | *jan | jan | *jan | *j[a/ɒ]n | |
blood | *e̝ne̝ŋ | *ɪnɪŋ | eneŋ | *e̝ne̝ŋ | *jo̝ne̝g | |
bone | *jɔk | *jɔk | jw-aʔ | *jɔʔ[ɔ] | ||
breast | *mɔᵘm | *mɔᵘm | moᵘm | *mɔᵘm | *mɔᵘm | mɒ̃ᵘ |
louse | *ami | *ami | imi | *ami | *ami | ami |
dog | *gam | *[k/g]am | gam | *gam | *gɒm | kɒ̀ |
pig | *be̝sam | *bɪsam | *bham | wɒ́ | ||
bird | *mak, *mag | *mak | -ma (?) | *-ma (?) | *mak | má |
egg/fruit/seed | *do̝[k] | *dʊk | do | *do̝[k] | dɒko ~ dɒku | |
tree/wood | *gal | gal | *gal | *gɒl | kɒ̀ | |
woman/wife | *ge̝l | *[k/g]ɪl | gel | *ge̝l | ||
sun | *k[ɛ]t[e̝]ŋ | *k[ɛ]t[ɪ]ŋ | isiŋ | *he̝ŋ | ||
moon | *wal | *wal | wal | *wal | ||
water/river | *m[ɛ/a]g | *mɛk | mag | *m[ɛ/a]g | ||
fire | *o̝ᵘg | *ʊᵘk | ug | *[u]g | ||
stone | *gɛⁱl; *gidig | *[k/g]ɛⁱl | girig | *gidig | kè | |
path/way | *bi[t/s]ig | *bi[t/s]ik | bisig | *bhig | ||
name | *si | *si | si | *si | *si | si |
eat/drink | *de̝-(b) | *dɪ-(b) | de- | *de̝-(b) | de- | |
one | *[na]tɔn | *tɔn | nason | *nhɔn | ||
two/ring finger | *b[e̝/ɛ]te̝ne̝ | *b[ɪ/ɛ]tɪnɪ | besene | *bhe̝ne̝ |
The following basic vocabulary words are from McElhanon & Voorhoeve (1970), [3] Voorhoeve (1975), [4] and Heeschen (1978), [5] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database: [6]
gloss | Eipomek | Korapun-Sela | Nalca | Una | Yale, Korsarek | Ketengban |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
head | kiisok | asak | huk | heiyɔ´; khe yok | giso | |
hair | fotong | asuŋ | hoŋ | otoŋ | hong; hɔŋ | potong |
ear | amol | amalé | amol | |||
eye | asing | isiŋ | hiŋ | atsiŋ | heiŋ; hɩng | asorue |
nose | uu | uryam | u | |||
tooth | sii | si | si | tsi | si | tsi |
tongue | sii tang | selemú | lyemngwe | |||
leg | yan saŋ | yan | yan | yan | ||
louse | amnye | wutnavu | amnya | ami; ami´ | amnye | |
dog | kam | kʰam; kham | kam | kam | kam | |
pig | basam | pham | pham | uduk | pam; pham | besam |
bird | make | winaŋ | winiŋ | mai | winang; winaŋ | ma |
egg | duk | waŋga | doug | winaŋ wana; winang wangká | do | |
blood | ining | iniŋ | iniŋ | eneŋ; ining | yabye | |
bone | yoke | iaŋ birin | yog | yok; you | yo | |
skin | boxa | phok | kon | |||
breast | taram | saram | taram | |||
tree | yo | kal; khal | kal; khal | kal | co | |
man | nimi | nim | nimi | |||
woman | kilape | kəlabo | nerape | |||
sky | iim | im | im | |||
sun | ketinge | isiŋ | hiŋ | hein; hɛng | getane | |
moon | wale | wal | ware | |||
water | mek | mak | mek | meye | mak | me |
fire | uukwe | uk | uk | uke | ouk̂; ow | ukwe |
stone | kedinge | khirik | kirik | waliŋ | kirik | gil |
road, path | biisiik | bi | bisi | |||
name | sii | utnimi | si | si | si | |
eat | dibmal | dilom | kwaːniŋ | el dilamla; tiu loŋa | jibmar | |
one | ton | thoxunok | nhon | otunohon; se'lek | tegen | |
two | bisini | phein | pɛndɛ; phende | bitini |
Mek reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma are: [7]