Yapen languages (Austronesian)

The Yapen languages are the branch of Malayo-Polynesian languages spoken on Yapen Island and the nearby small islands in Cenderawasih Bay, all in Papua province of northeastern Indonesia.

They share Yapen Ιsland with the Papuan Yawa languages.

Historical morphology Reconstructions of subject markers and inalienable possessive markers for Yapen proto-languages according to Kamholz (2015). Note that V = vocalic conjugation, C = consonantal conjugation:

Proto-Yapen: {| class=wikitable |- | 1sg. || *y- (V), *ya- (C) || 1pl. || *t- (incl.), *am- (excl.) |- | 2sg. || *bu- (V), *-u- (C) || 2pl. || *m- |- | 3sg. || *dy- (V), *-i- (C) || 3pl. || *si- |} {| class=wikitable |- | 1sg. || *-ku, *-ni || 1pl. || *ta-...-mi (incl.), *ama-...-mi (excl.) |- | 2sg. || *-mu || 2pl. || *mi-...-mi |- | 3sg. || *-n-pai || 3pl. || *si-...-mi

Proto-Western Yapen (Proto-Central–Western Yapen): {| class=wikitable |- | 1sg. || *y- (V), *ya- (C) || 1pl. || *tat- (incl.), *amat- (excl.) |- | 2sg. || *bu- (V), *-u- (C) || 2pl. || *met- |- | 3sg. || *dy- (V), *-i- (C) || 3pl. || *set- |} {| class=wikitable |- | 1sg. || *-ku, *-ni || 1pl. || *ta-...-mi (incl.), *ama-...-mi (excl.) |- | 2sg. || *-mu || 2pl. || *me-...-mi |- | 3sg. || *-n-pai, *-na-ni || 3pl. || *se-...-mi

Proto-Central Yapen: {| class=wikitable |- | 1sg. || *y- (V), *ya- (C) || 1pl. || *tat- (incl.), *amat- (excl.) |- | 2sg. || *w- (V), *-u- (C) || 2pl. || *met- |- | 3sg. || *dy- (V), *-i- (C) || 3pl. || *et- |} {| class=wikitable |- | 1sg. || *-u, *-ni || 1pl. || *ta-...-mi (incl.), *ama-...-mi (excl.) |- | 2sg. || *-mu || 2pl. || *me-...-mi |- | 3sg. || *-nempai, *-na-ni || 3pl. || *se-...-mi

Proto-Eastern Yapen: {| class=wikitable |- | 1sg. || *ay- (V), *a- (C) || 1pl. || *t- (incl.), *nam- (excl.) |- | 2sg. || *b- (V), *-u- (C) || 2pl. || *mi- |- | 3sg. || *d- (V), *-i- (C) || 3pl. || *si- |} {| class=wikitable |- | 1sg. || *ai- || 1pl. || *ta- (incl.), *na- (excl.) |- | 2sg. || *me- || 2pl. || *mi- |- | 3sg. || *ne- || 3pl. || *si-

Languages From Kamholz (2024):

Yapen Western Yapen (Central–Western Yapen) Ambai Ansus Marau Wandamen Woi Central Yapen Munggui Pom Papuma Serui-Laut Busami Eastern Yapen Kurudu Wabo

Proto-Western Yapen

Proto-Western Yapen, also known as Proto-Central-Western Yapen, was reconstructed in 1983 by P.J. Silzer, with further amendments by Usher and Gasser (in preparation).Gasser, Emily and Benesch, Montreal (2025). An un-Austronesian Austronesian language: Proto-Western Yapen and its lexicon

+ VowelsFrontCentralBack Close Close-mid Open

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+Consonants ! !Bilabial !Alveolar !Palatal !Velar |- !Stop |*, |*,

!Nasal

|* (?) |- !Fricative |* |*, *S

!Rhotic

!Approximant

!Unclear |*P, *B |*D

Lexical reconstructions mentioned in Gasser and Benesch (2025):

Proto-Western YapenGloss*βəβo 'above, top'*inapa 'beach, shore'*kaBaru[r] 'bean'*man 'bird'*woinai 'bowl/bucket'*=nunum 'to burn, cook'*wa 'canoe'*aNtum[a] 'child'*arixaN 'child'*=tara 'to chop or pound sago'*sur 'comb'*=sur 'to comb'*təbura 'conch shell/trumpet'*tau[i]n 'cooked/dried sago'*ano 'cross-cousin'*mararu 'type of cooking pot'*ur[u]n 'type of cooking pot'*=unum 'to drink'*=an 'to eat'*iai 'father'*tama 'father, father's brother'*βaβin 'female, woman'*=mun 'to fight'*adia 'fire'*dian 'fish'*taraN 'type of fish harpoon or spear'*=pot 'to fish with a line'*jer 'type of fish poison'*ne una 'fish scales'*se 'type of fish trap'*maraiN 'fishing line'*sarəper 'fishing line'*buoN 'fruit'*pi mun-a 'game, prey'*Busa(r) 'gray, white'*ruai 'grill, rack for roasting'*[o/u]tin 'hundred'*sawan 'husband'*inoi 'knife'*=məri 'to laugh'*=rep 'to lick, taste'*kaβui 'loincloth'*sur 'louse'*muan 'male, man'*=[r]aut 'to marry, be married'*tawan 'matoa (Pometia pinnata)'*s[i/e]na 'mother, mother's sister'*diru 'night'*pəreN 'nipa palm'*maniN 'oil'*su 'papeda/sago porridge'*=mopar 'to poison fish'*=iSin 'to prepare papeda/sago porridge'*=ram[i/u][s] 'to rinse/squeeze sago'*anaN 'sago'*parari 'sago frond'*amau 'sago pounder'*aro 'sago swamp'*kawein[i] 'shrimp'*raruo 'sibling'*amai 'sibling-in-law'*morir 'spinefoot fish (Siganus sp.)'*=iSan 'to stab'*=osar 'to stand (up), wake up'*=as 'to swim'*ma-muta 'to vomit'*a-mun-a 'war'*pi ma-mun-a 'weapon'

Yapen languages (Austronesian)

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