The Koiarian languages Laurie Bauer, 2007, The Linguistics Student’s Handbook, Edinburgh 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:Dutton, Tom. 2010. Reconstructing Proto Koiarian: The history of a Papuan language family. (Pacific Linguistics, 610.) Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University
Baraic Ömie Barai–Managalasi (incl. Namiae) Koiaric Mountain Koiari Koita – Grass Koiari
Proto-language Pronouns Usher (2020) reconstructs the pronouns as:New Guinea World, Owen Stanley Range
! !!sg!!pl |- !1 |*na ||*no |- !2 |*a ||*ja |- !3 |*aɸu ||*[i/e]abu
Vocabulary The following basic vocabulary words of Proto-Koiarian and other lower-level reconstructions are from the Trans-New Guinea database:
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Proto-Koiarian !! Proto-Koiariac !! Proto-Baraic |- ! head | || *kina || |- ! hair | *fómo || || |- ! ear | || || *gada |- ! eye | *ni || || |- ! nose | *uri || || |- ! tooth | || || *gubai |- ! tongue | || || *bitarV |- ! leg | || || *díʔ- |- ! louse | *ʔumu || || |- ! dog | || *to || *(ʔ,k)uo |- ! pig | || *ofo || *mafV |- ! bird | *ugu[fa] || || |- ! egg | *uni || || |- ! blood | *taɣo || || |- ! bone | || || *(ʔ)adV |- ! skin | *vata || || |- ! breast | *amu || || *m(u,o)sV |- ! tree | *idí || || |- ! man | || *ata || *baru |- ! woman | *maɣina || *nigi || |- ! sun | || *vani || *maja-; *ve |- ! moon | || *bata || |- ! water | || || *[i]do |- ! fire | *vené || || |- ! stone | *muni || || *Umari |- ! road, path | || *ɣuma || |- ! name | *ifí || || |- ! eat | *i- || || |- ! one | *(i,o)gau || || *Ogonu |- ! two | || *abu(t)i || *inoki
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.