The Nukuma languages are a small family of three clearly related languages:[1]
Nukuma | |
---|---|
Ma | |
Geographic distribution | East Sepik Province, in the Sepik River basin of Papua New Guinea |
Linguistic classification | Sepik
|
Glottolog | nuku1256 |
They are generally classified among the Sepik languages of northern Papua New Guinea; Malcolm Ross places them in a Middle Sepik branch of that family.
They are spoken to the north of the Sepik River near Ambunti, and west of the Ambulas-speaking region of Mapr (near Wosera town).[2]
Pronouns in Nukuma languages:[2]
The following basic vocabulary words are from Foley (2005)[3] and Laycock (1968),[4] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:[5]
gloss | Kwoma | Mende |
---|---|---|
head | masək | masiki |
ear | fuː; mabiya | mampla |
eye | miː; miyi | məsokome |
nose | sumojɨ; sumwonj | miñompo |
tooth | pu; tarəkwi | fu |
tongue | kwunja; tarekwoy | tarple |
leg | yaːte; yati | kumpa |
louse | nəkə; nɨka | nika |
dog | asa | asa |
pig | buri; poyi | |
bird | apu | afi |
egg | apo; bey; mpei | fəla |
blood | pi | fi |
bone | apo; hapa | hapa |
skin | mampə | maume |
breast | muk; muku | muku |
tree | me | mi |
man | ma | ma |
woman | miːma | nogəpie |
sun | ya | ta |
moon | nowəka; nɨwɨka | niyaka |
water | uku | uku |
fire | hi; hiː | hi |
stone | papa | süŋkye |
name | hi | |
eat | a | |
one | pochi | |
two | uprus | frišip |