Lower Sepik languages

The Lower Sepik a.k.a. Nor–Pondo languages are a small language family of East Sepik Province in northern Papua New Guinea. They were identified as a family by K Laumann in 1951 under the name Nor–Pondo, and included in Donald Laycock's now-defunct 1973 Sepik–Ramu family.

Classification

Malcolm Ross (2005) broke up the Nor branch (and thus renamed the family Lower Sepik) because Murik does not share the characteristic s of the first- and second-person pronouns of Kopar and the Pondo languages, so the latter may form a group: Murik vs Kopar–Pondo. Ross classified Lower Sepik as one branch of a Ramu–Lower Sepik language family. 

Foley (2005) tentatively proposes that Chambri and Angoram may be primary branches: Nor, Chambari, Karawari–Yimas, Angoram. Usher, following Foley, keeps Nor together and breaks up Pondo. Neither accept the connection to Ramu.

Foley (2018)
Foley (2018) provides the following classification.

Lower Sepik family
Murik, Kopar
Angoram
Chambri
Karawari, Yimas

Angoram appears to be closer to Murik-Kopar, and Chambri may be related to Yimas-Karawari, but Foley (2018: 213) groups Angoram and Chambri as separate branches pending further evidence.

Phonology
Except for Yimas-Karawari, Lower Sepik languages typically have the following six-vowel system.

{| 
| i ||  || u
|-
| e || ə || o
|-
| a ||  || 
|}

Yimas-Karawari has only four vowels.

{| 
| i || u
|-
| ə || 
|-
| a || 
|}

Proto-Lower-Sepik

Pronouns
The pronouns reconstructed for the proto-language are,

Proto–Lower Sepik (Ross)

{| class=wikitable
|-
| I || *ama || we two || *ka-i, *ka-pia || we few || *(p)a-ŋk-i-t || we all || *a-i, *a-pia, *i-pi
|-
| thou || *nɨmi || you two || *ka-u, *ka-pua || you few || *(p)a-ŋk-u-t || you all || *a-u, *a-pu, *i-pu(a)
|-
| s/he || *mɨn || they two || *mɨnɨmp ? (M),*mpɨ ? (F) || they few || *mɨŋkɨ-t || they all || *mump (M),*pum (F)
|}

Proto-Nor–Pondo (Foley)
{| class=wikitable
|-
| I || *ama || we two || *ka-i, *ka-pa-i || we few || *(pa)ŋk-it || we all || *a-i, *a-pa-i, *(y)i-i, *(y)i-pa-i
|-
| thou || *mi || you two || *ka-u, *ka-pa-u || you few || *(pa)ŋk-ut || you all || *a-u, *a-pa-u, *(y)i-u, *(y)i-pa-u
|-
| s/he || *mən || they two || ? || they few || *mɨŋkɨ || they all || *mump ?
|}

Lexicon
A phonological reconstruction of proto-Lower Sepik has been proposed by Foley (2005). Foley's (2005) lexical reconstructions are provided below.

Proto-Lower Sepik reconstructions by Foley (2005)

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! gloss !! proto-Lower Sepik !! Yimas !! Karawi !! Chambri !! Angrm !! Murik !! Kopar
|-
| one || *mb(w)ia- || mpa- || mba- || mbwia- || mbia- || abe || mbatep
|-
| two || *ri-pa- || -rpal || ripay || -ri || -(lɨ)par || kobo || kombari
|-
| three || *-ram || -ramnaw || -rianmaw || -ram || -elɨm || keroŋgo || keremɨŋ
|-
| person || *nor || nar-maŋ || yarmasɨnar || noranan ||  || nor || nor
|-
| male || *pon || panmal || panmari ||  || pondo || puin || 
|-
| woman || *ŋay || ŋay || asay || kaye || nuŋor || ŋai || nana
|-
| water || *arɨm || arɨm || arɨm || arɨm || alɨm || arɨm || arɨm
|-
| fire || *awr || awt || awi || ayɨr || aluŋ || awr || awr
|-
| sun ||  || tɨmal || sɨmari || sɨnmari || mbwino || akɨn || akɨn
|-
| moon || *m(w)il ? || mɨla || tuŋkwi || mwɨl || mɨle || karewan || karep
|-
| star ||  || awak || suŋkwiɲcirim || suŋgwi || areɲjo || moai || kinaŋ
|-
| canoe || *kay || kay || kay || ke || ke || gain || kain
|-
| house ||  || nam || yam || kurɨr || nam || iran || indan
|-
| village || *num || num || imuŋka || num || num || nomot || numot
|-
| breast || *nɨŋgay || nɨŋay || ɲjay || nɨŋke || ŋge || niŋgen || niŋgin
|-
| tooth || *sisiŋk ? || tɨrɨŋ || sɨsɨŋ || sraŋk || sisiŋ || asarap || asirap
|-
| blood || *ya- || yat || yay || yari || ayakone || yaran || yuwaran
|-
| bone || *sariŋamp || tanɨm || tanɨm || anamp || salɨŋ || sariŋib̩ || sarekimp
|-
| tongue || *minɨŋ || mɨɲɨŋ || mumɨɲɨŋ || tɨbulaniŋk || mɨnɨŋ || menɨŋ || mimiŋ
|-
| eye || *tambri || tuŋkuruŋ || sampɨs || sɨsiŋk || tambli || nabrin || nambrin
|-
| nose ||  || tɨkay || ipun || wambusu || naŋɨm || daur || imbot
|-
| leg || *namuŋk || pamuŋ || pamuŋ || namaŋk || namuŋ ||  || namɨŋ
|-
| hair ||  || wapwi || wampi || yawi || mbwikmaley || dwar || ruar
|-
| ear || *kwand- || kwantumuŋ || kwandukas || kukunam || kwandum || karekep || kundot
|-
| egg || *awŋ || awŋ || yawŋ || awŋk || awŋ || gaug || awŋ
|-
| leaf || *nɨmpramp || nɨmprɨm || yimprɨm || nɨmpramp || namblum || nabirɨk || nɨmbiraŋ
|-
| yesterday / tomorrow || *ŋarɨŋ || ŋarɨŋ || arɨŋ || namasɨnɨŋ || nakɨmɨn || ŋarɨŋ || rari
|-
| oar || *(mɨ)naŋ || muraŋ || mɨnaŋ || naŋk || inap || inaŋ || naŋ
|-
| betelnut || *poruŋ || patn || payn || muntɨkɨn || parɨŋ || porog || puruŋ
|-
| lime || *awi(r) || awi || as || ayɨr || awer || air || air
|-
| pig || *numpran || numpran || impian || numpran || imbar || nɨmbren || nɨmbren
|-
| crocodile ||  || manpa || manpo || ayi || walami || oramen || uri
|-
| snake || *wakɨn || wakɨn || wakɨn || wan || paruŋ || wakɨn || ikun
|-
| mosquito || *naŋgun || naŋkun || yaŋkun || naŋgun || wawarɨn || nauk || nangɨt
|-
| ground || *andi || anti || anti || nɨŋkrump || andi || agin || andin
|-
| feces || *mɨndi || mɨlɨm || mɨnti || muɲjar || mɨndi || mɨndɨn || mɨndɨ
|-
| hear || *and- || andɨ || andu || andɨ || andɨ || dɨn || nda
|-
| hit || *di || tupul || kurar || dɨɨ || ti || di || nɨŋ
|-
| eat || *am(b) || am(b) || am(b) || am(b) || am(b) || mɨn || ma
|-
| go || *wa || wa || kuria || kal || wa || on || wa
|-
| come || *ya || ya || kurapia || ya || ya || ya || ya
|-
| sit || *sa || tay || sa || nda ||  || sa || nda
|-
| big || *kupa || kɨpa || kupa || wupa || kupa || apo || kapu
|-
| cold || *sarV- || tarɨk || sarɨk || saruk || popant ||  || sarapakin
|}

Footnotes

Further reading
Proto-Lower-Sepik. TransNewGuinea.org. From (1) Foley, W.A. 1986. The Papuan languages of New Guinea, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ; (2) Foley, W.A. 1986. The Papuan languages of New Guinea, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

References

 
Category:Ramu–Lower Sepik languages
Category:Languages of East Sepik Province
Category:Papuan languages
Category:Language families