Anim languages

The Anim or Fly River languages are a language family in south-central New Guinea established by Usher & Suter (2015). The names of the family derive from the Fly River and from the Proto-Anim word *anim 'people'.

Anim
Fly River
Geographic distribution	Fly River, central southern New Guinea
Linguistic classification	Trans-New Guinea? Anim
Proto-language	Proto-Anim
Subdivisions	Inland Gulf Tirio Boazi Marind–Yaqai
Language codes
–
Glottolog	anim1240
Map: The Anim languages of New Guinea   The Anim families   Other Trans–New Guinea families   Other Papuan languages   Austronesian languages   Uninhabited

Languages

The 17 Anim languages belong to the following four subfamilies:

• Inland Gulf
• Tirio (Lower Fly River)
• Boazi (Lake Murray)
• Marind (Marind–Yaqai)

The moribund Abom language, previously considered a member of the Tirio family, is of uncertain classification, possibly Trans–New Guinea, but does not appear to be Anim. The extinct Karami language, attested only in a short word list and previously assigned to the Inland Gulf family, defies classification (Usher and Suter 2015).

Anim languages and respective demographic information listed by Evans (2018) are provided below.

List of Anim languages

Language	Subgroup	Location	Population	Alternate names
Marind	Nuclear Marind	central Merauke Regency and southeast corner (Indonesia)	7,000
Bian	Nuclear Marind	northeast Merauke Regency (Indonesia)	2,900
Yaqay	Yaqay	eastern Mappi Regency (Indonesia)	10,000
Warkay-Bipim	Yaqay	south Asmat Regency (Indonesia)	300
Kuni-Boazi	Lake Murray (Boazi)	west Lake Murray (PNG)	4,500
Zimakani	Lake Murray (Boazi)	southwest Lake Murray across border (PNG)	1,500
Tirio	Tirio (Lower Fly)	south bank of lower Fly River (PNG)	1900	Makayam
Bitur	Tirio (Lower Fly)	south bank of lower Fly River (PNG)	860	Mutum, Paswam, Bituri
Adulu	Tirio (Lower Fly)	south Gogodala Rural LLG (PNG)	220	Aturu
Lewada-Dewara	Tirio (Lower Fly)	Gogodala Rural LLG (PNG)	700	Were
Baramu	Tirio (Lower Fly)	south bank of lower Fly River (PNG)	850
Ipiko	Ipiko (Inland Gulf)	West Kikori Rural LLG (PNG)

Reconstruction

Phonemes

Proto-Anim
Reconstruction of	Anim languages

Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant inventory as follows:

*m	*n
*p	*t		*k
*mb	*nd		*ŋg
*ɸ	*s
*w	*r	*j

Vowels are *a *e *i *o *u.

Pronouns

Proto-Anim pronouns (Usher and Suter 2015):

	sg	pl
1	*na-	*ni-
2	*ŋga-	*ja
3	*(u)a-	*ja

By 2020, comparison with the neighboring TNG branch Awyu–Ok had led so some revision of the reconstructions. Here are the nominative and possessive/object forms:

	sg	pl
1	*no, *na-	*ni, *na-/*ni-
2	*ŋgo, **ŋga-	*[i/e]o, *[i/e]a-
3m	*e, *e-	*i, *i-
3f	*u, *u-

The demonstrative third-person forms *e-, *u-, *i- are an innovation shared with proto-Awyu–Ok, which has the same vowel ablaut in the second person as well. They reflect a gender ablaut of msg *e, fsg *u, nsg *[a/o], and pl *i, as in *anem 'man', *anum 'woman', *anim 'people', or *we 'father', *wu 'mother', *wi 'parents'.

Lexicon

Proto-Anim lexical reconstructions by Usher & Suter (2015) are:

gloss	Proto-Anim
‘house’	*aɸ(a,o)
‘younger sibling’	*am(o)=e/*am=u
‘laugh’	*awend(V)
‘thigh’	*mboɸo
‘breast’	*mbumb(V)
‘tree’	*nde
‘navel’	*ndekum(u)
‘sago’	*ndou
‘build a nest’	*ewes
‘bone’	*ɸia(u)
‘rain’	*ŋg(a,o)e
‘night’	*ŋgap(o)
‘eat, drink’	*ŋg(e,a)i
‘root’	*itit(i)
‘lip’	*itup(u)
‘cry’	*iwo
‘tooth’	*kam(V)
‘egg, seed’	*kan(a,e)
‘paddle’	*kawea
‘mouth, teeth’	*maŋg(a,o)t(o)
‘come’	*mano
‘speech, voice’	*mean(V)
‘two’	*measi
‘fruit, seed’	*moko(m)
‘heart’	*muki(k)
‘mosquito’	*naŋg(a,i)t(i)
‘banana’	*napet(o)
‘sleep’	*nu
‘forearm’	*piŋgi
‘stand’	*ratinV
‘hand’	*seŋga
‘tongue’	*sas(a)
‘meat, fish’	*sawa(i)
‘tail feathers’	*sum(V)
‘fire, tree’	*tae
‘wing’	*taɸ(u)
‘nape’	*temuk(u)
‘lie down’	*tenV

Below are selected reconstructions for Proto-Fly River (Proto-Anim) and branches by Usher (2020).

gloss	Proto- Fly River	Proto- Inland Gulf	Proto- Lower Fly River	Proto- Lake Murray	Proto- Marind-Yaqay	Proto- Marind	Proto- Yakhai-Warkay	Proto- Yakhai
head		*gia				*pa	*muku
hair			*duɾumə; *duɾum
ear		*tu; *jeja	*towap		*kambet	*kembet, *kambet	*k[e]mbet
eye	*kindV[C]	*kuɸino	*baɾid		*kind	*kind	*kind
nose		*dasi	*miw			*aŋgi₂p	*s[e/a]maŋg
tooth	*kam	*ta; *bese	*suwə; *kam; *su	*kam	*maŋg[e/a]t	*maŋgat	*maŋg[e/a]t
tongue	*sas	*koda; *sasa	*jimə; *jim	*naseam; *sas	*inVm	*inum	*in[e/a]m
leg		*idini				*tegu
louse	*n[u]m[u]ŋg	*uani	*oɾ[eae]n	*[num]uŋg	*nambun	*nahun; *mba[m/mb]	*nambun
dog		*gaso	*s[eae]; *diɾean	*gaɣo		*ŋgat
pig	*mbasik	*maɸa	*m[i/e]nawə	*basik	*basik	*basik	*basik
bird		*ewesa	*dawod			*ujub		*pet[e/a]ɣau
egg	*kanV	*ɸutu; *usu	*sVɣaɾə		*mogaw; *kan[a]	*magaw	*mo[k/ɣ]a
blood			*nauɾə	*kouk		*do
bone	*mbai[a]ŋg; *ɸia[u]	*ɸia	*naɾak(ə); *baig	*bajag	*hia[u]	*haiau, *hiau	*hia	*ia
skin		*nikopi; *ko[j]ipo		*ŋgusum		*ugu
breast		*jono	*bub	*toto		*bub	*abut
tree	*nde	*de	*naukə	*tae	*de	*de	*de
man	*anem	*aneme	*anem(ə)	*anem	*anem	*anem
woman	*anum	*anumu	*anum(ə)	*anum	*anum	*anum		*sau
sun		*nowumu; *siwio	*manom	*kaia		*katane
moon		*bubei	*manom			*mandou	*kam[e/o]
water		*ogo	*mau[g/k]ə	*neia, *naia	*adika	*adeka	*adika	*maⁱ
fire	*tae	*maɸi; *ta[j]e	*j[i]au	*tae	*tekaw	*tekaw	*teka
stone			*didigə		*seŋgV	*ketaɾ; *seŋga	*seŋgV	*seŋgi
path		*jigei	*ewean			*isas
name		*jiga	*gag	*ij	*[i/e]g[i/e]j	*igij	*[e][k/ɣ][e]
eat			*tamu			*ɣawi[ɣ]		*bae
one	*ija (?)	*jaigio	*ɣoɾ[e]a[u][k]	*koapo	*ija[kod]	*ijako[d]; *ijakod
two	*meas[i]	*measi	*mis			*inah		*[k/ɣ]aiaɣamat

External links

• Timothy Usher & Edgar Suter, New Guinea World, Proto–Fly River (see also reconstructions of branches)