Ndu languages
Encyclopedia
The Ndu languages are the best known family
of the Sepik languages
of northern Papua New Guinea
. Ndu is the word for 'man' in the languages that make up this group. The languages were first identified as a related family by Kirschbaum in 1922.
Abelam
is the most populous language, with about 45,000 speakers, though Iatmül
is better known to the outside world. There are eight to twelve Ndu languages, depending on how dialects are classified. Ethnologue
15 counted them as,
and edition 16 added,
Most Sepik and neighboring languages have systems of three vowel
s, /ɨ ə a/, that are distinct only in height. Phonetic [i e u o] are a result of palatal and labial assimilation
of /ɨ ə/ to adjacent consonants. The Ndu languages may take this reduction a step further: In these languages, /ɨ/ is used as an epenthetic
vowel to break up consonant cluster
s in compound words. Within words, /ɨ/ only occurs between similar consonants, and seems to be explicable as epenthesis there as well, so that the only underlying vowels that need to be assumed are. That is, the Ndu languages may be a rare case of a two-vowel system, the others being the Arrernte and Northwest Caucasian languages
. However, contrasting analyses of these same languages may posit a dozen vowel monophthongs.
Language family
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family. The term 'family' comes from the tree model of language origination in historical linguistics, which makes use of a metaphor comparing languages to people in a...
of the Sepik languages
Sepik languages
-Pronouns:The pronouns Ross reconstructs for proto-Sepik are:Note the similarities of the dual and plural suffixes with those of the Torricelli languages.-See also:*Papuan languages*Sepik–Ramu languages*Donald Laycock...
of northern Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. Ndu is the word for 'man' in the languages that make up this group. The languages were first identified as a related family by Kirschbaum in 1922.
Abelam
Abelam language
Abelam is the most populous of the Ndu languages of Sepik River region of northern Papua New Guinea....
is the most populous language, with about 45,000 speakers, though Iatmül
Iatmül language
Iatmül is perhaps the best known of the Ndu languages of Sepik River region of northern Papua New Guinea.It is less commonly known as Gepma Kwudi ~ Ngepma Kwundi....
is better known to the outside world. There are eight to twelve Ndu languages, depending on how dialects are classified. Ethnologue
Ethnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
15 counted them as,
- IatmulIatmül languageIatmül is perhaps the best known of the Ndu languages of Sepik River region of northern Papua New Guinea.It is less commonly known as Gepma Kwudi ~ Ngepma Kwundi....
, Ngala, ManambuManambu languageManambu is one of the Ndu languages of Sepik River region of northern Papua New Guinea....
, Yelogu, AbelamAbelam languageAbelam is the most populous of the Ndu languages of Sepik River region of northern Papua New Guinea....
(Ambulas), BoikenBoiken languageBoiken is one of the more populous of the Ndu languages of Sepik River region of northern Papua New Guinea....
, Sawos (Malinguat, Keak), KwasengenKwasengen languageKwasengen, also known as Hanga Hundi, is one of the Ndu languages of Sepik River region of northern Papua New Guinea....
(Hanga Hundi),
and edition 16 added,
- Burui, Gaikundi (Sos Kundi), Koiwat, Sengo.
Most Sepik and neighboring languages have systems of three vowel
Vowel
In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
s, /ɨ ə a/, that are distinct only in height. Phonetic [i e u o] are a result of palatal and labial assimilation
Assimilation (linguistics)
Assimilation is a common phonological process by which the sound of the ending of one word blends into the sound of the beginning of the following word. This occurs when the parts of the mouth and vocal cords start to form the beginning sounds of the next word before the last sound has been...
of /ɨ ə/ to adjacent consonants. The Ndu languages may take this reduction a step further: In these languages, /ɨ/ is used as an epenthetic
Epenthesis
In phonology, epenthesis is the addition of one or more sounds to a word, especially to the interior of a word. Epenthesis may be divided into two types: excrescence, for the addition of a consonant, and anaptyxis for the addition of a vowel....
vowel to break up consonant cluster
Consonant cluster
In linguistics, a consonant cluster is a group of consonants which have no intervening vowel. In English, for example, the groups and are consonant clusters in the word splits....
s in compound words. Within words, /ɨ/ only occurs between similar consonants, and seems to be explicable as epenthesis there as well, so that the only underlying vowels that need to be assumed are
Northwest Caucasian languages
The Northwest Caucasian languages, also called Abkhazo-Adyghean, or sometimes Pontic as opposed to Caspian for the Northeast Caucasian languages, are a group of languages spoken in the Caucasus region, chiefly in Russia , the disputed territory of Abkhazia, and Turkey, with smaller communities...
. However, contrasting analyses of these same languages may posit a dozen vowel monophthongs.