Koiarian languages

The Koiarian languages 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.

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:

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

Proto-language

Pronouns

Usher (2020) reconstructs the pronouns as:

Vocabulary

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

Evolution

Koiarian reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma are:

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.

References

Further reading

• Dutton, Tom. 2003. A dictionary of Koiari, Papua New Guinea, with grammar notes. Pacific Linguistics 534. Canberra: Australian National University.
• Proto-Koiarian. TransNewGuinea.org. From Dutton, T.E. 2010. Reconstructing Proto Koiarian: The history of a Papuan language family, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
• Proto-Koiariac. TransNewGuinea.org. From Dutton, T.E. 2010. Reconstructing Proto Koiarian: The history of a Papuan language family, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
• Proto-Baraic. TransNewGuinea.org. From Dutton, T.E. 2010. Reconstructing Proto Koiarian: The history of a Papuan language family, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.