The Paniai Lakes languages, also known as the Wissel Lakes or Wissel Lakes – Kemandoga River, are a small family of closely related Trans–New Guinea languages spoken in the Paniai Lakes region of the highlands of Western New Guinea in the Paniai Lakes region of Papua. Foley (2003) considers their Trans–New Guinea status to be established.
Languages The languages are:NewGuineaWorld
Paniai Lakes languages Moni Central Wolani (Wodani) Ekari (Ekari, Mee) Auye (incl. Dao)
They are most closely related to the Dani languages, Amung and Dem.
Pronouns Independent pronouns and possessive prefixes are:
{| class="wikitable" ! !!singular!!dual!!plural |- !1 |*ani, *na-||*ina||*ini, *ni- |- !2 |*aka, *ka-||*ika||*iki |- !3 |*oka, *e-
Vocabulary comparison The following basic vocabulary words are from Larson & Larson (1972)Larson, Gordon F. & Larson, M.O. 1972. The Ekagi-Wodani-Moni Language family of West Irian. Irian, 1(3), pp. 80–95. and Voorhoeve (1975),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. as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.
The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. homa, huma for “stone”) or not (e.g. bodiya, usa for “fire”).
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Ekari (Paniai Lake dialect) !! Ekari !! Moni (Kemandoga dialect) !! Moni !! Wolani (Upper Mbijandoga dialect) !! Wolani |- ! head | || migo || || muŋagi || || moto |- ! hair | || iyo || || mbagu || || elo |- ! eye | || peka || || seŋgamu || || |- ! nose | juma || || jange || || juma || |- ! tooth | egó || ego || baga || baga || hego || hego |- ! tongue | etá || || dabe || || debegada || |- ! leg | || || || bado || || bado |- ! louse | uka || uka || amu || amu || uka || uka |- ! dog | || dodi || || home || || kawino |- ! pig | || ekina || || wogo || || iŋgina |- ! bird | bedo || bedo || beka || bega || bido || bido |- ! egg | || nipo || || ŋgeda || || |- ! blood | emo || emo || eka || ega || emo || emo |- ! bone | mitoo || mitoo || iwa || iwa || mitoo || mitoo |- ! skin | kadó || kado || ada || ada || ebada || ebada |- ! breast | ama || || ama || || ama || |- ! tree | pija || piya || bo || bo || pija || piya |- ! man | jame || yame || aka || me || me || me |- ! sun | meuka; tani || tani || emondani || emondani || dame || dame |- ! moon | agoo || || tinawi || || agoo || |- ! water | uwo || uwo || du || du || uwo || uwo |- ! fire | bodija || bodiya || usa || usa || bida || bida |- ! stone | mogo || mogo || homa || ŋeda || huma || huma |- ! road, path | itá || || kejako || || hindá || |- ! name | eka || eka || eje || eze || ekada || ekada |- ! eat | nai || nai || nuija || nuya || nona || nona |- ! one | ena; kate || ena; kato || hako || hago || naa || naa |- ! two | wijá || wiya || hija || hiya || wijá || wiya
Evolution Paniai Lakes reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma are:
Ekari language: ‘breast’ < ‘arm’ < ‘belly’ < ‘breast’ < ‘skin’ < ‘louse’ < ‘come’ < ‘father’ < ‘speech, talk’ < ‘instructions’ ‘sun’ <
Moni language: ‘breast’ < ‘heart’ < ‘internal organs, belly’ ‘skin’ < ‘woman’ < ‘night’ < ‘stone’ < ‘tree’ < ‘come’ <
References