Ramu language family of Papua New Guinea
The Ottilien or Watam-Awar-Gamay languages are a small family of clearly related languages,
Watam –Kaian , Gamei (Mbore), and Bosman –Awar .They are generally classified among the Ramu languages of northern Papua New Guinea .
The Ottilien languages are all spoken in Yawar Rural LLG , in locations mostly along the coast of Madang Province , Papua New Guinea .[ 1] [ 2]
Watam and Bosman share plural morphology with Lower Sepik (Nor–Pondo), supporting the Ramu – Lower Sepik language-family proposal.
The family is named for the mouth of the Ottilien River , now known as the Ramu .
Phonemes
Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant inventory as follows:[ 3]
*m
*n
*ŋ
*p
*t
*s
*k
*mb
*nd
*ndz
*ŋg
*w
*ɾ
*j
*ɣ
Pronouns
Pronouns in proto-Watam-Awar-Gamay (proto-Ottilien) reconstructed by Foley (2005) are:[ 4]
singular
dual
plural
1st person
*aŋga
*ai
2nd person
*(n)oŋgo(a)
*ne
3rd person
*ma(n)
*maniŋg
*mi(n)
See also Lower Ramu languages#Pronouns .
Usher (2020) reconstructs the pronouns as:[ 3]
sg
du
pl
1
*ŋg[o]
*aŋga
*ai
2
*[n]oŋga
*ne(-n)
3
*ma(-n)
Proto-Ottilien
A phonological reconstruction of proto-Watam-Awar-Gamay (proto-Ottilien) has been proposed by Foley (2005).[ 4]
proto-Watam-Awar-Gamay reconstructions (Foley 2005)
gloss
proto-Watam-Awar-Gamay
Watam Kaian Gamay Bosmun Awar
one
*kaku
kaku
kaku
kabe
koku
mbɨnə
two
*mbuniŋ
mbwoini
mbuniŋ
mbuniŋ
mbuniŋ
mbuni
three
giramot
giramaut
mbonkak
bonkak
mbribin
person
*namot
namot
namot
ramot
mot
mot
woman/mother
aem
meak
meak
mes/mam
məri/mam
father
aes
aes
aet
sate
sat
water
arum
ŋarum
puk
mok
mok
fire
*s(u)ək
sak
sak
tak
suək
suək
sun
*ra(u)
nau/ra
ra
ra
lau
rau
moon
*kər(v)i
ndoŋar
kare
karvɨi
kərvi
kəri
star
gwi
gwae
gwi
ɲjem
pot
canoe
*kor
kor
kor
kor
kor
kor
house
endau
endau
kak
tomuŋ
to
village
n(a)oŋ
noŋ
auŋ
wunis
ŋuni
breast
*mɨr
mur
mur
mɨr
mɨr
mɨr
tooth
*nda(r)
ndakai
ndakai
ndar
dar
ndar
blood
rumb
yakaind
rakaind
nimbit
rerik
bone
*ɣar
gagar
gagar
gagar
ɣar
ɣarɣar
tongue
*mi(m)
mi
memraŋ
mim
eitap
ɲjiekpun
ear
*kwar
kwar
kwar
kwar
kur
kur
eye
*rəmeak
namak
rameak
lamŋeak
rəmak
rəmaʔ
nose
*ŋgum
ŋgum
ŋgum
ŋgum
ŋgum
ŋgum
leg
*or ?
or
or
or
or
rue
hair
mbunat
sabrit
yakwar
twakarɨ
dəmbar
egg
yor
yor
lor
nuok
nuʔ
bird
*ŋgwarak
ŋgorak
ŋgorak
ŋgorak
gwarak
ŋgorak
leaf
*(ra)par
rapar
rapar
rapar
par
par
tree
padoŋ
paraŋ
ik
kən
kən
yesterday
*ɣur
ŋur
ŋaup
ŋaur
ɣur
gur
tomorrow
*ɣurap ?
ŋarap
ŋorap
ŋorap
vuarap
gurap
oar
*anup
anup
anup
nup
nuap
nop
betelnut
*mbok
meɲjak
mbok
mbok
mbok
mbok
lime
*awi(r)
ai
aipak
avir
verpak
virwa
sago
*veak
wak
weak
veak
ves
vek
pig
*rəkəm
markum
markum
markəm
rəkəm
rəgəm
crocodile
namkai
nomgai
mugmai
ŋgome
ŋgumi
snake
*ndop
mindop
mindop
nduop
ndup
kondok
name
*ɣi
wi
wi
i
ji
gi
mosquito
*ŋgit
naŋgit
naŋgit
ŋgit
ɲjet
ŋget
ground
wakar
wakar
tiakar
tesin
terik
feces
*yu/o
yo
yupak
lo
yuwur
ɲjit
hear
*varak
warak
warak
warak
vai
vai
hit
ruŋ
pi
pi
ŋara
ŋa
eat
*amb
amb
amb
amb
mba
mba
go
*saŋg
saŋg
saŋg
taŋg
saŋg
saŋg
come
*kɨp
rukup
rukup
kɨp
kɨp
kɨp
sit
*mbirak
mbirak
mbirak
mbirak
berak
mbirak
stand
*-tik
utik
utik
wɨtɨk
tis
tik
big
nakan
aneak
aɲek
ɣor
vret
good
*ya(o)ŋ
yaoŋ
yaoŋ
laŋ
yaŋ
yandi
black
*mbəkmbək
mbukmbuk
mbukmbuk
mbəkmbək
bəkbək
mbəkmbək
hot
wiwi
wai
ovai
vɨvi
gɨgɨr
cold
gagau
gagau
gagau
ɣiɣiat
rivut
Below, proto-Watam-Awar-Gamay is listed in comparison with four other Ramu languages that are closely related to, but not part of, Watam-Awar-Gamay: the Misegian languages Kire and Mikarew , and the Tanggu languages Tangu and Igom .[ 4]
Proto-Watam-Awar-Gamay and Ramu comparisons (Foley 2005)
gloss
proto-Watam-Awar-Gamay
Kire Mikarew Tangu Igom
one
*kaku
ibabira
aməra
wunwan
unuʔaka
two
*mbuniŋ
pʰunini
poni
munai
mokupea
three
pʰuni
pomənimkasam
munainwan
mokupea unuʔa
person
*namot
guma
guma
wanik
wuɣu
woman/mother
mbik
aim/ami
məin
məin
father
ndia
apisi
yavai
yap
water
mbɨ
cup
niam
niam
fire
*s(u)ək
vap
ariv
ruwuv/rogup
lugu
sun
*ra(u)
ra
are
gar
ŋgar
moon
*kər(v)i
kəniŋ
ekini
mənam
mənam
star
kam
mukope
riyɨndɨk
likian
canoe
*kor
kem
agiam
house
vun/pen
tɨpeŋ
taŋ
taŋ
village
ŋgu
uŋip
məŋ
miaŋ
breast
*mɨr
ta
ote
ŋgyuav
gii
tooth
*nda(r)
thar
atarim
andar
dər
blood
vusun
wusi
irien
məy
bone
*ɣar
xar
aɣar
ɣavaŋ
ɣavaŋ
tongue
*mi(m)
ze
mɨzm
mamiakɨ
mimiaŋ
ear
*kwar
kwar
kwar
wukwar
ɣukwar
eye
*rəmeak
rumaʔ
tama
raik
raik
nose
*ŋgum
kwom
winiba
munwam
eɲjia
leg
*or ?
ruu
sue
miɲaŋ
mbwan
hair
rugun
tapanari
ɣasia/ŋgasia
rɨgesn
egg
rer
aror
mɨnduapen
warɨan
bird
*ŋgwarak
kworak
kwara
ŋgwarak
ŋgwarak
leaf
*(ra)par
far
tafarim
rapar
pat
tree
kʰa
tep
gək
ɣək
yesterday
*ɣur
gurmun
pɨkɨm
ruar
mugisi
tomorrow
*ɣurap ?
gurmun
kuromu
wumasan
mom
oar
*anup
(n)dab
iŋgap
betelnut
*mbok
puk
mis
miak
miak
lime
*awi(r)
rwi
iwim
uwuren
uɣum
sago
*veak
vik
wisim
giav/ŋiav
yaŋgia
pig
*rəkəm
dam
ta
ram
ram
crocodile
kum
koa
viari
laisaŋ
snake
*ndop
kuruk
kuru
kyuok
kiak
name
*ɣi
zin
izi
rigiav
rigiaŋ
mosquito
*ŋgit
ket
ci
ŋgwan
gwan
ground
nwiaʔan
ŋwas
nduv
ʃa
feces
*yu/o
vi(r)
buarim
gavig
miɲaŋ
hear
*varak
mbara?
orak
vara/bara
mwiari
hit
soʔ
sos
ŋak
mənaramu
eat
*amb
mbɨ
tama
ɣam/mi
kam
go
*saŋg
vu/ŋgu
usi
maŋ/wugi
gi
come
*kɨp
zə
si/sa
iɣ/giji
karigi
sit
*mbirak
peraʔ
apria
ipi/pindi
pwiaŋge
stand
*-tik
tʰək
cu
ɣambi/ləmbe
rambia
big
bakume
aruʔa
ruma/arum
arum
good
*ya(o)ŋ
vuŋ
aŋwi
swari/ara
yara
black
*mbəkmbək
pək
pək
ŋes/nəs
ŋiatʃ
hot
qurgur
fei
uŋtiki
varip
References
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. ISBN 0858835622 OCLC 67292782 .
External links
