The Tama languages are a small family of three clusters of closely related languages of northern Papua New Guinea, spoken just to the south of Nuku town in eastern Sandaun Province. They are classified as subgroup of the Sepik languages. Tama is the word for 'man' in the languages that make up this group.
Yessan-Mayo and Mehek are the best documented Tama languages.
Languages Usher (2020) classifies the Tama languages as follows,Tama, New Guinea World Tama Pasi–Yamano: Ayi, Pasi, Yamano (Yessan-Mayo) Mehek–Pahi: Pahi, Mehek Wogamus: Wogamusin, Chenapian
Foley (2018), following Donald Laycock, provides the following classification.
Tama Kalou Ayi Pahi, Mehek (Makru) Pasi, Yessan-Mayo (Yamano)
Kalou is actually related to Amal.Amal–Kalou, New Guinea World
Phonology The Tama languages distinguish /r/ and /l/, unlike many other Papuan languages that have only one liquid consonant.
Vocabulary comparison The following basic vocabulary words are from Laycock (1968),Laycock, Donald C. 1968. Languages of the Lumi Subdistrict (West Sepik District), New Guinea. Oceanic Linguistics, 7 (1): 36-66. as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.
The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. suwa, huwa for “leg”) or not (e.g. namra, wapray for “eye”).
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Mehek !! Pahi !! Yessan-MayoFoley, W.A. "Linguistic prehistory in the Sepik-Ramu basin". In Pawley, A., Attenborough, R., Golson, J. and Hide, R. editors, Papuan Pasts: Cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. PL-572:109-144. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 2005. !! Yessan-Mayo (Warasai dialect) |- ! head | terfa || taraʔwey || tara || |- ! ear | namra || wapray || wan || wan |- ! eye | lakwo || niaʔwey || la; lə || la |- ! nose | wiliŋki || fikihinwi || raŋkɨ; raŋki || haŋki |- ! tooth | mpi || piaʔwey || lər; lir || rir |- ! tongue | tawul || tafəki || tawlə || kawul |- ! leg | suwa || huwa || towa; warə || sowa |- ! louse | nunum || nunum || nɨ; ni || niʔ |- ! dog | wala || waʔay || wala || wale |- ! pig | || || for || |- ! bird | fenre || feydey || ap || apu |- ! egg | lakwo || yaʔwey || yen; yɨn || yan |- ! blood | kefu || nefum || nap || nap |- ! bone | yefa || yefa || yaha || |- ! skin | liki || fuhum || was || |- ! breast | muku || muwi || mu; mukw || mukw |- ! tree | moː || muy || me || meʔ |- ! man | tama || tama || tama; tamə || kama |- ! woman | tawa || tawa || taː || ka |- ! sun | nampul || napuy || yabəl; yampəl || yampəl |- ! moon | nekwa || nefʔa || lup; lɨyf || lüp |- ! water | okwu || oʔwi || ok; okw || okw |- ! fire | kiri || irʔi || k-er; kər || kər |- ! stone | arkwo || hijopey || pa || papə |- ! eat | || || a(m) || |- ! one | || || wurɨ || |- ! two | lisifu || || fes || kes
References