Mian
Trans-New Guinea (Mountain Ok)
Mian is a Trans-New Guinea Mountain Ok language spoken by ~3,500 in the rugged Star Mountains of Papua New Guinea (Telefomin and Tabubil). Famous for its complex gender-classifier system: every noun belongs to one of four gender classes (masculine, feminine, and two neuter genders) that influence verbal agreement, demonstratives, and quantifiers. Has biological-gender, shape, function, and animacy axes. Highly polysynthetic verbs with 6+ position classes. Documentation by Sebastian Fedden produced one of the most detailed Papuan grammars of the 21st century. Latin script.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Mian
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Trans-New Guinea (Mountain Ok)
| Meaning | Mian | Faiwol | Tok Pisin | Torres Strait Creole | Bislama | Pijin | Itbayaten |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aai /aˤiː/ | ok /ok/ | wara /waɾa/ | woda /woda/ | wota /wota/ | wata /wata/ | ranom /ranom/ |
| Fire | as /as/ | baal /baːl/ | paia /paja/ | paya /paja/ | faea /faea/ | faea /faja/ | hapoy /hapoj/ |
| Sun | afok /afok/ | kibel /kibel/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | araw /araw/ |
| Moon | alim /alim/ | ulup /ulup/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | voxan /voɣan/ |
| Star | awitnîn /awitnin/ | milum /milum/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | vitoen /vitoɨn/ |
| Night | kwitimib /kwitimib/ | am midla /am midla/ | nait /nait/ | nait /nait/ | naet /naet/ | naet /naet/ | aʼxep /aʔɣɨp/ |
| Rain | sok /sok/ | weiw /weiw/ | ren /ren/ | ren /ren/ | ren /rɛn/ | ren /ren/ | timoy /timoj/ |
| Wind | glol /ɡlol/ | gedul /ɡedul/ | win /win/ | win /win/ | win /win/ | win /win/ | sarawsaw /sarawsaw/ |
| Earth | dabal /dabal/ | bakan /bakan/ | graun /ɡraun/ | graun /ɡraun/ | graon /ɡraon/ | graon /ɡraon/ | tana /tana/ |
| Stone | tom /tom/ | tum /tum/ | ston /ston/ | ston /ston/ | ston /ston/ | ston /ston/ | vato /vato/ |
| Mountain | amgolim /amɡolim/ | amgu /amɡu/ | maunten /maunten/ | maunten /maunten/ | maunten /maunten/ | maonden /maonden/ | — |
| Mother | awǒk /awok/ | anim /anim/ | mama /mama/ | ama /ama/ | mama /mama/ | mami /mami/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | aaleb /aːleb/ | atim /atim/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | dadi /dadi/ | ama /ama/ |
| Daughter | moon /moːn/ | mun /mun/ | pikinini meri /pikinini meri/ | gel /ɡel/ | gel /ɡel/ | dota /dota/ | — |
| I | né /ne/ | na /na/ | mi /mi/ | ai /ai/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | yaken /jakɨn/ |
| You | kébó /kebo/ | kaba /kaba/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | iu /iu/ | ʼimo /ʔimo/ |
| We | níbó / ní /nibo / ni/ | nu /nu/ | yumi / mipela /jumi / mipela/ | yumpla / mipla /jumpla / mipla/ | yumi / mifala /jumi / mifala/ | iumi / mifala /jumi / mifala/ | yaten / yamen /jatɨn / jamɨn/ |
| Name | ninǐn /ninin/ | win /win/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ |
| Head | gabam /ɡabam/ | gebom /ɡebom/ | het /het/ | ed /ed/ | hed /hed/ | hed /hed/ | oxo /oɣo/ |
| Eye | kin /kin/ | nin /nin/ | ai /aj/ | ai /aj/ | ae /ae/ | ae /ae/ | mata /mata/ |
| Ear | klon /klon/ | kalun /kalun/ | yau /jau/ | talinga /taliŋa/ | ia /ia/ | ia /ia/ | talinya /taliɲa/ |
| Nose | múkûng /mukuŋ/ | mutum /mutum/ | nus /nus/ | nus /nus/ | nus /nus/ | nos /nos/ | mohdan /mohdan/ |
| Mouth | sital /sital/ | bon /bon/ | maus /maus/ | maut /maut/ | maot /maot/ | maot /maot/ | vivih /vivih/ |
| Tooth | sit /sit/ | kail /kaʔil/ | tit /tit/ | tit /tit/ | tut /tut/ | titi /titi/ | nyipen /ɲipɨn/ |
| Tongue | haang /haːŋ/ | falang /falaŋ/ | tang /taŋ/ | tang /taŋ/ | tang /taŋ/ | tang /taŋ/ | rila /rila/ |
| Hand | kwěil /kweil/ | miim /miːm/ | han /han/ | an /an/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | lima /lima/ |
| Foot | sikir /sikir/ | jɑn /jɑn/ | lek /lek/ | put /put/ | leg /leɡ/ | leg /leɡ/ | ayi /aji/ |
| Heart | bobol /bobol/ | kayem /kajem/ | bel /bel/ | at /at/ | bel /bel/ | hat /hat/ | tawor /tawor/ |
| Bone | on /on/ | kun /kun/ | bun /bun/ | bon /bon/ | bun /bun/ | bon /bon/ | toʼxang /toʔɣaŋ/ |
| Blood | ilem /ilem/ | kaim /kaim/ | blut /blut/ | blad /blad/ | blad /blad/ | blad /blad/ | raya /raja/ |
| Poop | ai /ai/ | — | pekpek /pɛkpɛk/ | kaka /kaka/ | kaka /kaka/ | kaka /kaka/ | — |
| Love | na /na/ | kunum /kunum/ | laikim /lajkim/ | lavem /lavem/ | laekem /laekem/ | lavem /lavem/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | as /as/ | biin /biːn/ | diwai /diwaj/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | kayoh /kajoh/ |
| Dog | til /til/ | kuyak /kujak/ | dok /dok/ | dog /doɡ/ | dog /doɡ/ | dogi /doɡi/ | tito /tito/ |
| Cat | til busi /til busi/ | kit /kit/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusiket /pusiket/ | pusi /pusi/ | puskat /puskat/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | aning /aniŋ/ | takam /takam/ | pis /pis/ | pis /pis/ | fis /fis/ | fis /fis/ | among /amoŋ/ |
| Bird | wan /wan/ | awon /awon/ | pisin /ˈpisin/ | pizin /pizin/ | pijin /pidʒin/ | bed /bed/ | kangkang /kaŋkaŋ/ |
| Egg | un /un/ | — | kiau /kiau/ | eg /eɡ/ | eg /ɛɡ/ | eg /eɡ/ | ittiiyoy /ittiijoj/ |
| Bear | beai /beai/ | beya /beja/ | bea /bea/ | bea /bea/ | bea /bea/ | bea /bea/ | — |
| Horse | til hos /til hos/ | auos /auos/ | hos /hos/ | os /os/ | hos /hos/ | hos /hos/ | — |
| House | am /am/ | am /am/ | haus /haus/ | haus /haus/ | haos /haos/ | haos /haos/ | vaxay /vaɣaj/ |
| Salt | yal /jal/ | yol /jol/ | sol /sol/ | solt /solt/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | asin /asin/ |
| Wine | waen /waen/ | wain /wain/ | wain /wain/ | wain /wain/ | waen /waen/ | waen /waen/ | parek /parɨk/ |
| Rice | lais /lais/ | — | rais /rais/ | rais /rais/ | raes /raes/ | raes /raes/ | paray /paraj/ |
| Iron | ain /ain/ | ayen /ajen/ | ain /ain/ | aian /aian/ | aean /aean/ | aean /aean/ | — |
| Book | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | — |
| Eat | dowon /dowon/ | nemin /nemin/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kakae /kakae/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | koman /koman/ |
| Drink | dowon /dowon/ | ok ne /ok ne/ | dring /dɾiŋ/ | dringk /driŋk/ | dring /driŋ/ | drinkim /driŋkim/ | ominom /ominom/ |
| One | élekiem /elekiem/ | makuw /makuw/ | wanpela /wanpɛla/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wanfala /wanfala/ | aʼsa /aʔsa/ |
| Two | asu /asu/ | alew /alew/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tufala /tufala/ | doha /doha/ |
| Three | asumatna /asumatna/ | alewbino /alewbino/ | tripela /tripɛla/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | trifala /trifala/ | atlo /atlo/ |
| Four | asuke asuke /asuke asuke/ | alalew /alalew/ | fopela /fopɛla/ | fo /fo/ | fo /fo/ | fofala /fofala/ | aʼpat /aʔpat/ |
| Five | asuke asuke make /asuke asuke make/ | auok kal /auok kal/ | faiv /faiv/ | faiv /faiv/ | faev /faev/ | faefala /faefala/ | lima /lima/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | ben kaba /ben kaba/ | halo /halo/ | wis wei /wis wej/ | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | ngam ngam /ŋam ŋam/ | tenkyu /tɛŋkju/ | eso /eso/ | tangkyu /taŋkju/ | tagio /taɡio/ | — /—/ |
| Good | ayam /ajam/ | kanim /kanim/ | gutpela /ɡutpɛla/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | mapia /mapia/ |
| New | mema /mema/ | alokso /alokso/ | nupela /nupɛla/ | niu /niu/ | niufala /niufala/ | niu /niu/ | vaʼyo /vaʔjo/ |
| Red | ilem /ilem/ | kaim /kʰaim/ | retpela /retpela/ | red /red/ | red /red/ | red /red/ | mavayah /mavajah/ |
| White | nama /nama/ | namal /namal/ | waitpela /waitpela/ | wait /wait/ | waet /waet/ | waet /waet/ | mahilak /mahilak/ |
| Black | milil /milil/ | mitik /mitik/ | blakpela /blakpela/ | blak /blak/ | blak /blak/ | blak /blak/ | mavaeng /mavaɨŋ/ |
| Green | itanasit /itanasit/ | — | grinpela /ɡrinpela/ | grin /ɡrin/ | grin /ɡrin/ | grin /ɡrin/ | maharem /maharɨm/ |
| Blue | mokim /mokim/ | — | blupela /blupela/ | blu /blu/ | blu /blu/ | blu /blu/ | asol /asol/ |
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