Abau
Sepik (Upper Sepik)
Abau is a Papuan language of the Upper Sepik subgroup of the Sepik family, spoken by about 7,500 people along the Sepik River in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea, near the Indonesian border. Notable for having the simplest phonemic inventory of any Sepik language and for a robustly documented system of whistled speech used over long distances. It has an eight-class noun gender system with elaborate kinship vocabulary distinguishing terms used by male and female speakers.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Abau
Sources
- Bailey, D. A. (1975) A Phonological Description of Abau. Workpapers in Papua New Guinea Languages 13, SIL.
- Lock, A. H. (2011) Abau Grammar. Data Papers on Papua New Guinea Languages 57. SIL-PNG.
- Laycock, D. C. (1968) Languages of the Lumi Subdistrict (West Sepik District), New Guinea. Oceanic Linguistics 7(1): 36-66.
- Foley, W. A. (2005) Linguistic prehistory in the Sepik-Ramu basin.
- Glottolog: Abau
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Sepik (Upper Sepik)
| Meaning | Abau | Phrygian | Mycenaean Greek | Lardil | Wichita | Proto-Uto-Aztecan | Faliscan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | hu /hu/ | bedu /ˈbedu/ | 𐀄𐀈 /hudɔːr/ | nguka /ŋuka/ | kicʔa /kitsʔa/ | *paʔ /paʔ/ | — /—/ |
| Fire | ya /ja/ | — /—/ | 𐀢 /pyːr/ | nyuda /ɲuda/ | heːcʔa /heːtsʔa/ | *na- /na/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | ey /ej/ | — /—/ | 𐀀𐀸𐀪𐀍 /haːwelios/ | warrka /waɾka/ | saːkhirʔa /saːkʰiɾʔa/ | *ta /ta/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | yen /jɛn/ | masê /maˈseː/ | 𐀕 /mɛːn/ | kirdikir /kiɖikir/ | waːh /waːh/ | *mɨca /mɨca/ | — /—/ |
| Star | por /por/ | — /—/ | 𐀀𐀳𐀫 /astɛːr/ | kuwa thungal /kuwa θuŋal/ | hiːkwirikʔa /hiːkʷiɾikʔa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Night | nayr /najr/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | nata /nata/ | ckhaːrʔa /tskʰaːɾʔa/ | *tuku /tuku/ | — /—/ |
| Rain | sueyr /suejɾ/ | — | — | — | — | *yuku /juku/ | — |
| Wind | anhoh /anhɔh/ | — | 𐀀𐀚𐀗 /anemos/ | — | niweʔeːrʔa /niweʔeːɾʔa/ | *hɨka /hɨka/ | — |
| Earth | ki /ki/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Stone | mein /mein/ | — | — | — | — | *tɨn /tɨn/ | — |
| Mountain | mnuw /mnuw/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sea | sour-yawp-ar /souɾ jawp aɾ/ | — | — | — | — | *mɨma /mɨma/ | — |
| Mother | ipey /ˈipej/ | mater /ˈmater/ | 𐀔𐀳 /maːtɛːr/ | ngama /ŋama/ | eciyeːh /etsijeːh/ | — /—/ | mate /ˈmate/ |
| Father | aio /aˈio/ | atas /aˈtas/ | 𐀞𐀳 /patɛːr/ | kantha /kan̪t̪a/ | taːtah /taːtah/ | — /—/ | pater /ˈpater/ |
| Daughter | ney swanyo /nej swanjo/ | — | 𐀶𐀏𐀳 /tʰuɡatɛːr/ | — | — | *mala /mala/ | filea /ˈfilea/ |
| I | hane /hane/ | az /az/ | 𐀁𐀒 /eɡɔː/ | ngada /ŋada/ | nacʔih /natsʔih/ | *nɨ /nɨ/ | eko /ˈeko/ |
| You | hme /hme/ | — /—/ | 𐀶 /tuː/ | nyingki /ɲiŋki/ | nasʔih /nasʔih/ | *ʔɨ /ʔɨ/ | tu /tuː/ |
| We | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ngakuli / nyali /ŋakuli / ɲali/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Name | non /non/ | onoman /ˈonoman/ | 𐀃𐀜𐀔 /onoma/ | nyunda /ɲunda/ | hissaːrʔa /hissaːɾʔa/ | *tewa /tewa/ | nomen /ˈnomen/ |
| Person | uwrsa /uwɾsa/ | — | 𐀀𐀵𐀫𐀦 /antʰrɔːkʷos/ | — | ihaas /ihaas/ | — | — |
| Head | makwey /makwej/ | — | — | — | — | *moʔo /moʔo/ | — |
| Eye | nene /ˈnɛnɛ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kuwa /kuwa/ | kirikʔa /kiɾikʔa/ | *pusi /pusi/ | — /—/ |
| Ear | nweyk /nwejk/ | — | — | — | — | *naka /naka/ | — |
| Nose | kasaw /kasaw/ | — | — | — | — | *yaka /jaka/ | — |
| Mouth | woki /woki/ | — | — | — | — | *tɨʔni /tɨʔni/ | — |
| Tooth | nays /najs/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kadma leman /kadma leman/ | aːkʔa /aːkʔa/ | *tama /tama/ | — /—/ |
| Tongue | sane /sane/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | jalda leman /dʒalda leman/ | hacʼa /hatsʔa/ | *nene /nene/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | yiha /jiha/ | zeira /ˈzeːra/ | 𐀐𐀁 /kʰɛːr/ | marlda /maɭda/ | iskʔa /iskʔa/ | *maʔ /maʔ/ | — /—/ |
| Foot | sune /sune/ | petes /ˈpetes/ | 𐀡𐀆 /podei/ | jaa /dʒaː/ | asʔa /asʔa/ | *tala /tala/ | — |
| Heart | uron /uron/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | bulja /buldʒa/ | sikicʔa /sikitsʔa/ | *sula /sula/ | — /—/ |
| Bone | i /i/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kadma /kadma/ | kiːsʔa /kiːsʔa/ | *ohomï-ta /ohomɨta/ | — /—/ |
| Blood | nyoh /ɲoh/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kanda /kanda/ | waːckicʔa /waːtskitsʔa/ | *ɨtwa /ɨtwa/ | — /—/ |
| Poop | si /si/ | — | — | — | — | *kwittaC /kwittaC/ | — |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐀠𐀫 /pʰilos/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | nɔw /nɔw/ | — /—/ | 𐀈𐀬 /doru/ | thungal /θuŋal/ | tiyaːhkw /tijaːhkʷ/ | *kut /kut/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | nwoh /nwɔh/ | kan /kan/ | 𐀓𐀺 /kuwɔːn/ | ngawa /ŋawa/ | kiciyeːh /kitsijeːh/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | nom /nom/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | yaka /jaka/ | kaːcʔa /kaːtsʔa/ | *paki /paki/ | — /—/ |
| Bird | ahney /ahnej/ | — | — | — | ichir /itsʰiɾ/ | — | — |
| Butterfly | nonkay /nonkaj/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Horse | hos /hos/ | — | 𐀂𐀦 /ikkʷos/ | — | — | — | — |
| House | a /a/ | — /—/ | 𐀺𐀂𐀒 /woikos/ | ngambirr /ŋambir/ | akhaːrʔa /akʰaːɾʔa/ | *ki /ki/ | — /—/ |
| Milk | muhi /muhi/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Honey | eirpow-hu /eiɾpow hu/ | — | 𐀕𐀪 /meli/ | — | — | — | — |
| Salt | sol /sol/ | — | — | — | — | *ona /ona/ | — |
| Wine | wain-hu /wainhu/ | — | 𐀺𐀜 /woinos/ | — | — | — | uinom /ˈwiːnom/ |
| Iron | ain /ain/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Silk | slika /slika/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Book | mamey /mamej/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eat | ra /ɾa/ | — /—/ | 𐀁𐀈𐀕𐀙 /edmenai/ | jitha /dʒiθa/ | kaʔac /kaʔats/ | *kwaʔa /kwaʔa/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | lowswa /lowswa/ | — /—/ | 𐀡𐀜 /piːnɔː/ | kurdama /kuɖama/ | kikʔa /kikʔa/ | *hiʔpa /hiʔpa/ | pipafo /ˈpipafoː/ |
| Sleep | lwon /lwon/ | — | — | — | — | *koci /koci/ | — |
| One | kamon /kamon/ | — /—/ | 𐀁 /hen/ | warnge /waɾŋe/ | chiʔass /tsʰiʔass/ | *sɨmɨ /sɨmɨ/ | oinos /ˈoi̯nos/ |
| Two | kreys /kɾejs/ | — /—/ | 𐀉𐀺 /duwoː/ | kiyarrng /kijaɾŋ/ | wic /wits/ | *wo /wo/ | duo /ˈduo/ |
| Three | krompri /kɾompɾi/ | — /—/ | 𐀯𐀪 /tiri/ | mungkalan /muŋkalan/ | taw /taw/ | *pahi /pahi/ | — /—/ |
| Four | ihaiha-aw /ihaiha aw/ | — | 𐀤𐀵𐀫 /kʷetoro/ | — | taːkwic /taːkʷits/ | — | — |
| Five | iha sirom /iha siɾom/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | yapre /japɾɛ/ | — /—/ | 𐀀𐀏𐀳 /aɡatʰos/ | kuba /kuba/ | acs /atss/ | — /—/ | duenom /ˈduenom/ |
| New | iwon /iwon/ | — | 𐀚𐀺 /newos/ | — | — | *pɨtuwa /pɨtuwa/ | — |
| Red | oupuey /oupuej/ | — /—/ | 𐀁𐀬𐀲𐀨 /erutʰraː/ | kandukan /kandukan/ | kwhaːc /kʷʰaːts/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| White | weys /wejs/ | — | 𐀩𐀄𐀒 /leukos/ | — | — | *tosa /tosa/ | — |
| Black | orpey /oɾpej/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Blue | orohior /orohior/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coffee | kofi /kofi/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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