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The difference between the two 3pl forms is not known. 2pl and 3pl have parallels in Momuna /kun tun/.
Basic vocabulary
Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:[2]
gloss
Proto-Mek
Proto-East Mek
Kimyal
Proto-Northwest Mek
Proto-Momuna-Mek
Momuna
hair/feather
*p[ɔ]t[ɔ]ŋ
*pɔtɔŋ
osoŋ
*hɔŋ
ear/twelve
*aᵓ
ɔ
*aᵓ
eye
*atiŋ
*asiŋ
isiŋ
*haⁱŋ
*ɒtig
ɒtù
tooth/sharp
*jo̝
*jo̝
jó
tongue
*se̝l[ija]mu
*[se̝]l[ija]mu
selamu
*se̝l[i]mu
foot/leg
*jan
*jan
jan
*jan
*j[a/ɒ]n
blood
*e̝ne̝ŋ
*ɪnɪŋ
eneŋ
*e̝ne̝ŋ
*jo̝ne̝g
bone
*jɔk
*jɔk
jw-aʔ
*jɔʔ[ɔ]
breast
*mɔᵘm
*mɔᵘm
moᵘm
*mɔᵘm
*mɔᵘm
mɒ̃ᵘ
louse
*ami
*ami
imi
*ami
*ami
ami
dog
*gam
*[k/g]am
gam
*gam
*gɒm
kɒ̀
pig
*be̝sam
*bɪsam
*bham
wɒ́
bird
*mak, *mag
*mak
-ma (?)
*-ma (?)
*mak
má
egg/fruit/seed
*do̝[k]
*dʊk
do
*do̝[k]
dɒko ~ dɒku
tree/wood
*gal
gal
*gal
*gɒl
kɒ̀
woman/wife
*ge̝l
*[k/g]ɪl
gel
*ge̝l
sun
*k[ɛ]t[e̝]ŋ
*k[ɛ]t[ɪ]ŋ
isiŋ
*he̝ŋ
moon
*wal
*wal
wal
*wal
water/river
*m[ɛ/a]g
*mɛk
mag
*m[ɛ/a]g
fire
*o̝ᵘg
*ʊᵘk
ug
*[u]g
stone
*gɛⁱl; *gidig
*[k/g]ɛⁱl
girig
*gidig
kè
path/way
*bi[t/s]ig
*bi[t/s]ik
bisig
*bhig
name
*si
*si
si
*si
*si
si
eat/drink
*de̝-(b)
*dɪ-(b)
de-
*de̝-(b)
de-
one
*[na]tɔn
*tɔn
nason
*nhɔn
two/ring finger
*b[e̝/ɛ]te̝ne̝
*b[ɪ/ɛ]tɪnɪ
besene
*bhe̝ne̝
Vocabulary comparison
The following basic vocabulary words are from McElhanon & Voorhoeve (1970),[3] Voorhoeve (1975),[4] and Heeschen (1978),[5] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:[6]
Heeschen, Volker. 1978. The Mek languages of Irian Jaya with special reference to the Eipo language. Irian 7(2): 3–46.
Heeschen, Volker. 1992. The position of the Mek languages of Irian Jaya among the Papuan languages: History, typology and speech. Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 148(3/4): 465–488.
^McElhanon, K.A. and Voorhoeve, C.L. The Trans-New Guinea Phylum: Explorations in deep-level genetic relationships. B-16, vi + 112 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1970. doi:10.15144/PL-B16
^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. doi:10.15144/PL-B31
^Heeschen, V. 1978. The Mek languages of Irian Jaya with special reference to the Eipo language. Irian 2: 3-67.
^Pawley, Andrew; Hammarström, Harald (2018). "The Trans New Guinea family". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 21–196. ISBN978-3-11-028642-7.
Ross, Malcolm (2005). "Pronouns as a preliminary diagnostic for grouping Papuan languages". In Andrew Pawley; Robert Attenborough; Robin Hide; Jack Golson (eds.). Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. 15–66. ISBN0858835622. OCLC67292782.