Kaure–Kosare languages

The Kaure–Kosare or Nawa River languages are a small family spoken along the Nawa River in West Papua, near the northern border with Papua New Guinea. The languages are Kaure and Kosare.

Classification Kaure and Kosare (Kosadle) are clearly related. There is a history of classifying them with the Kapori–Sause languages. However, Kapori and Sause show no particular connection to the Kaure languages, and may be closer to Kwerba.New Guinea World, Nawa River

Foley (2018) considers a connection with Trans-New Guinea to be promising, but tentatively leaves Kaure-Kosare out as an independent language family pending further evidence.

Proto-language Phonemes Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant inventory as follows:

| *m || *n || || || |- | *p || *t || || *k || |- | *b || || || *g || |- | || *s || || || *h |- | *w || *ɽ || [*j] || ||

Coda consonants are stop *C (or more precisely *P) and nasal *N.

|*i || || *u |- |*e || || *o |- |*ɛ || || *ɔ |- |*æ || *a ||

Diphthongs are *ɛi, *ɛu, *ai *au.

Pronouns Usher (2020) reconstructs the pronouns as:

! !!sg!!pl |- !1 |*no (?), *na- || *wɛN |- !2 |*ha-(nɛ) || ? |- !3 | ? || ?

Basic vocabulary Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:

{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Proto-Nawa River |- | hair || *haⁱ |- | ear || *hwɔkɽuC |- | eye || *hwe̝N |- | tusk/tooth || *pakaⁱ |- | skin/bark || *ki |- | breast || *muN |- | louse || *miN |- | dog || *se̝ |- | pig || *pî |- | bird || *ho̝C |- | tree || *tɛⁱC |- | woman || *naⁱ |- | sun || *h[æ/a]niC |- | moon || *paka |- | water || *mi[jɛ] |- | fire || *sa(-[n/ɽ]ɛN) |- | eat || *naⁱ

Vocabulary comparison The following basic vocabulary words are from Voorhoeve (1971, 1975)Voorhoeve, C.L. "Miscellaneous Notes on Languages in West Irian, New Guinea". In Dutton, T., Voorhoeve, C. and Wurm, S.A. editors, Papers in New Guinea Linguistics No. 14. A-28:47-114. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1971. Voorhoeve, C.L. Languages of Irian Jaya: Checklist. Preliminary classification, language maps, wordlists. B-31, iv + 133 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1975. and other sources, as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.

The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. poka, paka for “moon”) or not (e.g. goklu, huaglüt, kɔro for “ear”).

{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! KaureClouse, D.A. 1997. Towards a reconstruction and reclassification of the Lakes Plain languages of Irian Jaya. In Franklin, K. (ed). Papers in Papuan Linguistics No. 2. Pacific Linguistics: Canberra. !! KosareHeeschen, V. 1978. The Mek languages of Irian Jaya with special reference to the Eipo language. Irian, 2: 3-67. !! Narau |- ! head | kasera; pleŋ; pɔklai || potɔ´ || |- ! hair | hai; hat || potɔi || fukura hai |- ! ear | goklu; huaglüt || 'kɔro || |- ! eye | gewe; hwai; hwew || ĩsɛrit || |- ! nose | gopo; hapu || moro 'kakò || |- ! tooth | sbeje; səbokai || pɛki || sebekai |- ! tongue | sremu; sɾumu || pɛrɛ´ || |- ! leg | due; duɛ || || nue |- ! louse | mi; mĩ || mi || |- ! dog | se || sé || |- ! pig | pi || pi || kandu |- ! bird | hou; hu; ku || o || |- ! egg | hore; te; wale || ho's̪ɛri || |- ! blood | hi; katesa; katsa || ña || |- ! bone | era; laq; loa || 'kákò || |- ! skin | aguli; arohei; axlit || || |- ! breast | mu; muq || kó kakò || |- ! tree | te; tei; teija || tĩⁿdi || bimesini |- ! man | debla; dido || || nepra |- ! woman | dae || ḑɩmɔ'kasia || |- ! sky | lɛbü || nubɷ || |- ! sun | hafei; haɾi; harei || ɛnɛ´ⸯ || kaberja |- ! moon | gaka; poka || paka || |- ! water | bi; biq; gomesi || biɛ || bi |- ! fire | sa; saʔ; sareŋ || sá || sare |- ! stone | təsi; tɛsi; tisi || 'naka || |- ! road, path | selu || kɛmɔrɔ´ || |- ! name | bəre; blɛ; nokomne || morɔ || |- ! eat | ganasi; kadi; kandɛ || kɛnɛ´ || kanaisini |- ! one | gogotia; kauxjaʔ; kaxotia || kora'ɸɛ || |- ! two | tɾapli; təravərei; trapi || tau ||

Kaure–Kosare languages

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