Kayagar languages

Proto-language

Pronouns

Usher (2020) reconstructs the pronouns as: :{| ! !!colspan=2|Gondu River!!colspan=2|Atohwaim |- ! !!sg!!pl!!sg!!pl |- !1 |*nax ||*nep ||naxa ||nipi, neβi |- !2 |*ax ||*akan ||axa ||aʔani |- !3 |*ek ||*wep ||– ||– |}

Basic vocabulary

Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:

:{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Proto-Gondu River |- | head || *toxom |- | hair || *upm |- | ear || *itipaːm |- | eye || *sakam |- | nose || *jup |- | tooth || *o[x/ɣ]om |- | tongue || *maetap |- | foot/leg || *apit |- | blood || *jes |- | bone || *nomop |- | skin/bark || *pip |- | breast || *etum |- | louse || *num |- | dog || *epe |- | pig || *wakum |- | bird || *suopam |- | egg || *map-jaxam |- | tree/wood || *wom |- | man/person || *jo[k] |- | woman || *enop |- | sun || *taːm |- | moon || *xa[x/ɣ]atam |- | water || *o[x/ɣ]om |- | fire || *atu |- | stone || *maitn |- | path || *kamein |- | name || *na[k] |- | eat || *xapti |- | one || *pa[x/ɣ]amo[x/k] |- | two || *tousiki |}

Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from McElhanon & Voorhoeve (1970) and Voorhoeve (1971, 1975), as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.

The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. tikem, toxom for “head”) or not (e.g. icoxop, iripam for “ear”).

:{| class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Atohwaim !! Kayagar !! Tamagario |- ! head | tikem || toxom || tokom |- ! hair | upm || owpm || upm |- ! ear | icoxop || iripam || ipiram |- ! eye | saam || saxam || sakam |- ! nose | opom || jup || jup |- ! tooth | ukoxom || oxom || ukom |- ! tongue | menaxaram || marap || marap |- ! leg | apir || apir || apir |- ! louse | numu || soːm || |- ! dog | upoc || epere; epe(re) || epe |- ! pig | wakum || wakum || wakum |- ! bird | wakem || səpam || towpam |- ! egg | mapiam || mapiaxam || mapiakam |- ! blood | wis || jes; yes || jet; yet |- ! bone | nömöp || namop; nəmop || nomop |- ! skin | piep || pip || pip |- ! breast | ötöm || || erem |- ! tree | wim || wom || wom |- ! man | mapirie || jo; yo || jo; yo |- ! woman | enepe || onop || onop |- ! sun | teme || taam || taam |- ! moon | kaʔaram || xaxaram || kakaram |- ! water | oxom || oxom || okom |- ! fire | acu || aru || aru |- ! stone | iki || kakup || maitu |- ! road, path | sepmop || xami || kame |- ! eat | owp || xapri || kapri |- ! one | papriaxap || paxamu || pakamok |- ! two | coopm || tosigi || totigi |}

References

References

1. [https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/cook-river-kolopom/cook-river New Guinea World, Gondu River]{{Dead link. (September 2025)
2. [https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/cook-river-kolopom/cook-river/atohwaim New Guinea World, Atohwaim]{{Dead link. (September 2025)
3. McElhanon, K.A. and Voorhoeve, C.L. ''The Trans-New Guinea Phylum: Explorations in deep-level genetic relationships''. B-16, vi + 112 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1970. {{doi. 10.15144/PL-B16
4. Voorhoeve, C.L. "Miscellaneous Notes on Languages in West Irian, New Guinea". In Dutton, T., Voorhoeve, C. and Wurm, S.A. editors, ''Papers in New Guinea Linguistics'' No. 14. A-28:47-114. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1971. {{doi. 10.15144/PL-A28.47
5. Voorhoeve, C.L. ''Languages of Irian Jaya: Checklist. Preliminary classification, language maps, wordlists''. B-31, iv + 133 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1975. {{doi. 10.15144/PL-B31
6. Greenhill, Simon. (2016). "TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea".