Pawaia, also known as Sira, Tudahwe, Yasa, is a Papuan language that forms a tentative independent branch of the Trans–New Guinea family in the classification of Malcolm Ross (2005).
Distribution Pawaia is spoken in: Chimbu Province: Karimui District Eastern Highlands Province: Lufa District and Okapa District, Lamari River Gulf Province: Baimuru Rural LLG, Purari River near OroiOroi is next to Kaiau and is located in Central Province, Papua New Guinea.
Classification Although Pawaia has reflexes of Proto-Trans–New Guinea vocabulary, Ross considers its inclusion questionable on available evidence. Usher classifies it instead with the Teberan languages. Noting insufficient evidence, Pawley and Hammarström (2018) leave it as unclassified rather than as part of Trans-New Guinea.
Pawley and Hammarström (2018) do not consider there to be sufficient evidence for Pawaia to be classified as part of Trans-New Guinea, though they do note the following lexical resemblances between Pawaia and Proto-Trans–New Guinea.
'breast' < 'tree' < 'tooth' <
Phonology +ConsonantsTrefry, D. A comparative study of Kuman and Pawaian. B-13, vi + 99 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1969. LabialAlveolarDorsalPlosiveFricativeNasalApproximant +VowelsFrontCentralBackHigh Mid Low Pawaia is also tonal, contrasting high and low tone.
Vocabulary The following basic vocabulary words are from Macdonald (1973)Macdonald, G.E. "The Teberan Language Family". In Franklin, K. editor, The linguistic situation in the Gulf District and adjacent areas, Papua New Guinea. C-26:111-148. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1973. and Trefry (1969), as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Pawaia |- | head || mu |- | hair || muse; sị |- | ear || nȩᶦ; nɛ̣i |- | eye || to; toᵘ |- | nose || ho; họ |- | tooth || su |- | tongue || ha̧pi; hɛmina |- | leg || hɛ; si̧ʔi̧ |- | louse || po; poř |- | dog || hạ; hɛ̧ |- | pig || ya |- | bird || deř; ge |- | egg || ge džu; yo |- | blood || sɛni; su̧ |- | bone || džɛmɛ; yɛmi |- | skin || hɛʔȩ; hɛi |- | breast || ɛmi |- | tree || i̧; in |- | man || džʌʔla; yala |- | woman || oi; u |- | sun || ol; olsuɛ; sia |- | moon || we; wɛ |- | water || sa |- | fire || sia |- | stone || tobu; topu |- | road, path || sụ |- | name || hɛʔɛpi; hopi |- | eat || hatisụɛ; ti haʔayɛ |- | one || pɛʔɛmi; pomi |- | two || naʔau; nau
References
Further reading Trefry, David. 1969. A Comparative Study of Kuman and Pawaian. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
External links Timothy Usher, New Guinea World, Pawaia