Sogeram languages

Sogeram
Sogeram River
Wanang
Geographic
distribution		Near the Sogeram River, Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classificationTrans–New Guinea
Language codes
Glottologsoge1235

The Sogeram languages are a family of languages in the Madang stock of New Guinea. They are named after the Sogeram River.[1]

In earlier classifications, such as that of Wurm, most of the Sogeram family were called "Wanang", after the Wanang River. The exceptions were Faita, placed as a separate branch of the Southern Adelbert languages, and Mum–Sirva (then called the "Sikan" family), which were classified with the other branch, Josephstaal (Tomul River).

Languages

Daniels (2016) classifies the Sogeram languages in three branches, including some recently documented languages.[2]

Sogeram

Daniels (2017), following Pawley, resolves the issue of Gants by classifying it as East Sogeram, closest to Kursav though he refrains from claiming the two languages form a clade. He notes that the name "East Sogeram" is no longer geographically appropriate, as Gants would be the westernmost Sogeram language.[3]

Recently discovered Magɨyi may also be a Sogeram language, with the forms of identified cognates closest to Mum.[4]

Because these languages form a chain, where each influences its neighbors, the branching of the family is not clear. Usher divides the languages in nearly the same way, differing only in the placement of Manat:[1]

  • Sogeram River

Names

Below are Sogeram language names in Daniels (2015) compared to names listed in Z'graggen (1975), along with their respective meanings.[5]: 6 

Daniels (2015) meaning Z'graggen (1975) meaning
Mand ‘no’ Atemple village name
Nend ‘no’ Angaua demonym
Manat ‘no’ Paynamar village name
Apalɨ ‘no’ Emerum village name
Mum ‘what’ Katiati village name
Sirva language name Sileibi village name?
Magɨ ‘no’
Aisi (Mabɨŋ) ‘why (no)’ Musak village name
Kursav language name Faita village name
Gants language name Gants language name

Proto-language

Proto-Sogeram
Reconstruction ofSogeram languages

A phonological reconstruction of Proto-Sogeram has been proposed by Daniels (2015).[6]

Phonology

Proto-Sogeram phonemic inventory according to Daniels (2015):[6]: 55 

*p *t *k *kʷ <kw>
*β <v> *s
*m *n *ɲ <ñ> *ŋ
*r
*i *ɨ *u
*a

Pronouns

Daniels (2017) reconstructs the pronouns as follows:[3]

sg pl
1 *ya *a-ra
2 *na *na-ra
3 *nu/*nɨ *nɨ-ra

Compare Ross's proto-Madang singular pronouns *ya, *na, *nu/*ua.

Lexicon

Selected lexical reconstructions from Daniels (2015) are listed below.[6]: 360–392 

Plant names
Proto-Sogeram Gloss Scientific name
*akwasa betelnut Areca catechu
*kari betelnut Areca catechu
*kasam breadfruit Artocarpus altilis
*kuimaŋ coconut Cocos nucifera
*mirkwa cordyline Cordyline fruticosa
*kunsa yam Dioscorea sp.
*mɨnta sword grass Imperata cylindrica
*mimpɨŋ ironwood tree Intsia bijuga
*makin sago Metroxylon sp.
*manɨŋ banana Musa sp.
*kamura betel pepper Piper betle
*akɨru sugar Saccharum officinarum
*sakai bamboo
*umai bean
*kɨñakw paint tree
*sukan reed sp.
Animal names
Proto-Sogeram Gloss Scientific name
*kɨñakuŋ wattled brush-turkey Aepypodius arfakianus
*siar starling Aplonis sp.
*kaiaŋki sulphur-crested cockatoo Cacatua galerita
*muiam cassowary Casuarius unappendiculatus
*ikakara chicken Gallus gallus
*kumpin Victoria crowned pigeon Goura victoria
*kwɨñaŋ palm cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus
*kukɨ sago grub Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
*aŋam collared brush-turkey Talegalla jobiensis
*kuyiv bird-of-paradise Paradisaeidae
*kariv flying fox Pteropus
*iŋkɨn ground possum Phalangeridae
*muŋmi bee
*kapa bird
*apapara butterfly
*kuntar centipede
*mavra crocodile
*upri dog
*kɨmparam eel
*iau fish
*kukasa frog
*naŋram frog
*iman louse
*kamɨŋaua millipede
*ñaŋkur mosquito
*iran parrot species
*urir parrot species
*sampaN pig
*sar snake
*takwɨ snake

Comparisons

The following is a comparative table of reconstructed forms in Proto-Sogeram and Proto-Northern Adelbert.[7]: 472 

gloss Proto-Sogeram Proto-Northern Adelbert
breast *aman ‘breast’ *men ‘breast’
cook in pot *imu ‘put in pot’ *im- ‘boil, cook in pot’
see *iŋka ‘see, perceive’ *ag- ‘see’
turn *ir, irɨ- ‘turn, spin’ *girik- ‘turn’
fight *kira ‘fight’ *war- ‘hit, fight’
bow *kɨmi ‘bow’ *kemi ‘bow’
die *kɨmu ‘die’ *um- ‘die’
walk, go *kɨnta ‘walk’ *iduw- ‘go’
root *kɨntɨr ‘root’ *durun ‘root’
roast *kra ‘roast’ *id- ‘roast’
arm, hand *kuman ‘arm, hand’ *waben ‘arm, hand’
centipede *kuntar ‘centipede’ *wisir ‘centipede’
egg *maŋka ‘egg’ *munag ‘egg’
husband *-mum ‘husband’ *muŋ ‘husband, man’
eat *ña ‘eat’ *an- ‘eat’
heavy, weight *pɨm ‘weight’ *bin ‘heavy’
snake *takwɨ ‘snake’ *duag ‘snake’
heart, liver *umpaŋ ‘heart’ *gemaŋ ‘liver’
call *ura ‘call out’ *par- ‘call’

References

  1. ^ a b Usher, Timothy. 2020. Sogeram River. New Guinea World.
  2. ^ Daniels, Don. 2016. Magɨ: An undocumented language of Papua New Guinea. Oceanic Linguistics 55: 199-224.
  3. ^ a b Daniels, Don. 2017. Gants is a Sogeram Language. Language and Linguistics in Melanesia 35: 82-93.
  4. ^ ISO code request 2013-029
  5. ^ Z'graggen, John A. 1975. The Languages of the Madang District, Papua New Guinea. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
  6. ^ a b c Daniels, Don. 2015. A Reconstruction of Proto-Sogeram Phonology, Lexicon, and Morphosyntax. Doctoral dissertation. University of California, Santa Barbara.
  7. ^ Pick, Andrew (2020). A reconstruction of Proto-Northern Adelbert phonology and lexicon (PDF) (PhD dissertation). University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Further reading

Wiktionary has a list of reconstructed forms at Appendix:Proto-Sogeram reconstructions
  • Daniels, Don. 2010. A preliminary phonological history of the Sogeram languages of Papua New Guinea. Oceanic Linguistics 49(1), 163–193.
  • Daniels, Don. 2015. A Reconstruction of Proto-Sogeram Phonology, Lexicon, and Morphosyntax. Doctoral dissertation. University of California, Santa Barbara.
  • Daniels, Don. 2020. Grammatical reconstruction: The Sogeram languages of New Guinea. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter.
Online word lists
  • Proto-Sogeram. TransNewGuinea.org. From Daniels, D. 2010. A preliminary phonological history of the Sogeram languages of Papua New Guinea. Oceanic Linguistics, 49, 163-193.
  • Proto-Central-Sogeram. TransNewGuinea.org. From Daniels, D. 2010. A preliminary phonological history of the Sogeram languages of Papua New Guinea. Oceanic Linguistics, 49, 163-193.
  • Proto-Eastern-Sogeram. TransNewGuinea.org. From Daniels, D. 2010. A preliminary phonological history of the Sogeram languages of Papua New Guinea. Oceanic Linguistics, 49, 163-193.
  • Proto-Western-Sogeram. TransNewGuinea.org. From Daniels, D. 2010. A preliminary phonological history of the Sogeram languages of Papua New Guinea. Oceanic Linguistics, 49, 163-193.