Chimbu–Wahgi languages

Chimbu–Wahgi
Central East New Guinea Highlands Simbu – Western Highlands
Geographic distribution	New Guinea
Linguistic classification	Northeast New Guinea? Chimbu–Wahgi
Subdivisions	Chimbu Hagen Jimi Wahgi
Glottolog	cent2120
Map: The Chimbu–Wahgi languages of New Guinea   The Chimbu–Wahgi languages   Other Trans–New Guinea languages   Other Papuan languages   Austronesian languages   Uninhabited

The Chimbu–Wahgi languages are a language family sometimes included in the Trans–New Guinea proposal.

Languages

There is little doubt that the Chimbu–Wahgi family is valid. The languages are:

• Chimbu–Wahgi family
  • Chimbu (Simbu) branch

    Kuman (Chimbu), Chuave, Nomane, Golin–Dom, Salt-Yui, Sinasina

  • Western Highlands
    • Jimi branch

      Maring, Narak–Kandawo

    • Wahgi branch

      Nii, Wahgi, North Wahgi (= Yu We?)

    • Hagen branch
      • Melpa (Medlpa)
      • Kaugel River: Imbo Ungu, Umbu-Ungu, Mbo-Ung (Bo-Ung)

Features

Several of the Chimbu–Wahgi languages have lateral consonants, which are uncommon: see Nii, Wahgi, and Kuman for examples. Tone is contrastive. The singular pronouns are:

	sg
1	*ná
2	*nim
3	*[y]é

Dual *-l and plural *-n reflect Trans–New Guinea forms.

Further reading

• 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

• Kaipuleohone archive of Chimbu-Wahgi language recordings