The Sko or Skou languages are a small language family spoken by about 7000 people, mainly along the Vanimo coast of Sandaun Province in Papua New Guinea, with a few being inland from this area and at least one just across the border in the Indonesian province of Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya).
Skou languages are unusual among Papuan languages for being tonal; all Skou languages possess contrastive tone.[1]Vanimo, for example, has three tones, high, mid, low.
Example minimal sets illustrating tonal contrasts in various Skou languages:[1]
Lakes Plain languages, spoken in a discontiguous area to the southwest, are also tonal. Because of the apparent phonological similarities and sharing of stable basic words such as ‘louse’, Foley speculates the potential likelihood of a distant relationship shared between the Skou and Lakes Plain families, but no formal proposals linking the two families have been made due to insufficient evidence.[2] Additionally according to Foley, based on some lexical and phonological similarities, the Keuw language (currently classified as a language isolate) may also possibly share a deep relationship with the Lakes Plain languages. Like the Lakes Plain languages, Keuw also possesses constrative tone.
Lepki, Kaure, and Kembra, spoken in mountainous inland regions of the Indonesia-PNG border to the southwest of the Skou-speaking area, are also tonal.[2]
Foley's Inner Sko corresponds to Donohue's Western Skou.
Miller (2017)edit
The Piore River branch was renamed Lagoon in Miller (2017).[6] The older names of the Piore River languages were from village names; Miller has since renamed them as Bauni, Uni, Bouni, and Bobe, though it is debatable whether they are all distinct languages.
Usher groups the languages as follows, with each node being a reconstructable clade, and giving the family a geographic label rather than naming it after a single language. The Eastern languages are typologically quite distinct from the Western languages and I'saka.[7]
The pronouns Ross reconstructs for proto-Skou are,
I
*na
we
*ne
thou
*me
you
?
he
*ka
they (M)
*ke
she
*bo
they (F)
*de
The Skou languages also have a dual, with a distinction between inclusive and exclusive we, but the forms are not reconstructable for the proto-language.
The following basic vocabulary words are from Voorhoeve (1971, 1975),[9][10] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.[11] More recent data from Marmion (2010)[12] has been added for Wutung and from Donohue (2002)[13] (as cited in the ASJP Database) for Skou.
^ abcdefFoley, William A. (2018). "The Languages of the Sepik-Ramu Basin and Environs". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 197–432. ISBN978-3-11-028642-7.
^ abFoley, William A. (2018). "The languages of Northwest New Guinea". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 433–568. ISBN978-3-11-028642-7.
^Wichmann, Søren. 2013. A classification of Papuan languages. In: Hammarström, Harald and Wilco van den Heuvel (eds.), History, contact and classification of Papuan languages (Language and Linguistics in Melanesia, Special Issue 2012), 313–386. Port Moresby: Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea.
^Donohue, Mark; Crowther, Melissa (2005). "Meeting in the middle: interaction in North-Central New Guinea". In Andrew Pawley; Robert Attenborough; Robin Hide; Jack Golson (eds.). Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. 167–184. ISBN0-85883-562-2. OCLC 67292782.
^Donohue, Mark P. 2007. A Grammar of the Skou Language of New Guinea. Unpublished manuscript.
^Miller, Steve A. 2017. Skou Languages Near Sissano Lagoon, Papua New Guinea. Language and Linguistics in Melanesia 35: 1–24.
^Dryer, Matthew S. (2022). Trans-New Guinea IV.2: Evaluating Membership in Trans-New Guinea.
^ abVoorhoeve, 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
^ abcVoorhoeve, 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
^Greenhill, Simon (2016). "TransNewGuinea.org - database of the languages of New Guinea". Retrieved 2020-11-05.
^ abMarmion, Doug (2010). Topics in the Phonology and Morphology of Wutung(PDF). Canberra: Australian National University.
^Wichmann, Søren (2020). "The ASJP Database". Retrieved 2021-01-20.
Laycock, Donald C. (1975). "Sko, Kwomtari, and Left May (Arai) phyla". In Stephen A. Wurm (ed.). Papuan languages and the New Guinea linguistic scene: New Guinea area languages and language study 1. Canberra: Dept. of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University. pp. 849–858. OCLC 37096514.
Ross, Malcolm (2005). "Pronouns as a preliminary diagnostic for grouping Papuan languages". In Andrew Pawley; Robert Attenborough; Robin Hide; Jack Golson (eds.). Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. 15–66. ISBN0858835622. OCLC 67292782.
External linksedit
Skou languages database at TransNewGuinea.org
May 08, 2024
skou, languages, small, language, family, spoken, about, 7000, people, mainly, along, vanimo, coast, sandaun, province, papua, guinea, with, being, inland, from, this, area, least, just, across, border, indonesian, province, papua, formerly, known, irian, jaya. The Sko or Skou languages are a small language family spoken by about 7000 people mainly along the Vanimo coast of Sandaun Province in Papua New Guinea with a few being inland from this area and at least one just across the border in the Indonesian province of Papua formerly known as Irian Jaya SkouSkoVanimo CoastGeographicdistributionnorthern New Guinea coast near VanimoLinguistic classificationNorthwest Papuan SkouSubdivisionsI saka Piore River Serra Hills Western SkouGlottologskoo1245 Contents 1 Typology 1 1 Tone 1 2 Morphology 2 Classification 2 1 Sko Laycock 1975 2 2 Skou Ross 2005 2 3 Macro Skou Donohue 2002 2 4 Sko Foley 2018 2 5 Miller 2017 2 6 Usher 2020 3 Pronouns 4 Cognates 5 Vocabulary comparison 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksTypology editTone edit Skou languages are unusual among Papuan languages for being tonal all Skou languages possess contrastive tone 1 Vanimo for example has three tones high mid low Example minimal sets illustrating tonal contrasts in various Skou languages 1 I saka ẽyH louse weyL butterfly weyLH house weyHL language Barupu eH tooth eL garden eHL mosquito eHLH write Wutung hoH roof thatch made from sago palm fronds hoL star hoHL grease Skou taH grass taL hair taHL arrow Lakes Plain languages spoken in a discontiguous area to the southwest are also tonal Because of the apparent phonological similarities and sharing of stable basic words such as louse Foley speculates the potential likelihood of a distant relationship shared between the Skou and Lakes Plain families but no formal proposals linking the two families have been made due to insufficient evidence 2 Additionally according to Foley based on some lexical and phonological similarities the Keuw language currently classified as a language isolate may also possibly share a deep relationship with the Lakes Plain languages Like the Lakes Plain languages Keuw also possesses constrative tone Lepki Kaure and Kembra spoken in mountainous inland regions of the Indonesia PNG border to the southwest of the Skou speaking area are also tonal 2 Morphology edit Skou languages can be isolating or polysynthetic 1 Isolating structure Dumo an Inner Skou language Polysynthetic structure Barupu a Piore River languageClassification editSkou languages were first linked by G Frederici in 1912 In 1941 K H Thomas expanded the family to its current extent The Sko family is not accepted by Soren Wichmann 2013 who splits it into two separate groups 3 Donohue 2007 and Donohue and Crowther 2005 list Nouri as a mixed language having features of both the Piore River and Serra Hills subgroups 4 5 Sko Laycock 1975 edit Laycock posited two branches Vanimo and Krisa Sko Vanimo branch Skou Sangke Nyao Wutung Vanimo Dumo Krisa branch I saka Krisa Rawo Puari Barupu Warapu Skou Ross 2005 edit However Krisa is poorly supported and Malcolm Ross abandoned it Skou I saka Krisa Barupu Warapu Puari Rawo Womo Vanimo branch Skou Tumawo Leitre Sangke Nyao Wutung Vanimo Dumo Dusur Macro Skou Donohue 2002 edit Mark Donohue proposed a subclassification based on areal diffusion he called Macro Skou Macro Skou Iʼsaka Skou Serra Piore linkage Piore River Nori strongly influenced by Womo Barupu Serra Hills Puare Rawo Main Serra Rawo Womo Skou Vanimo family Skou Eastern Skou Vanimo Leitre West Coast Border Nyao Wutung Vanimo proper Dumo Dusur Donohue 2004 notes that is unclear if extinct Nouri is in the Piore River or Serra Hills branch Sko Foley 2018 edit Foley 2018 provides the following classification 1 Sko I saka Piore River Barupu Warupu Bauni Ramo Uni Sumo Bouni Serra Hills Puare Womo Waro Inner Sko Skou Leitre Dumo Dusur Nyao Sangke Wutung Foley s Inner Sko corresponds to Donohue s Western Skou Miller 2017 edit The Piore River branch was renamed Lagoon in Miller 2017 6 The older names of the Piore River languages were from village names Miller has since renamed them as Bauni Uni Bouni and Bobe though it is debatable whether they are all distinct languages Lagoon also Piore River Bauni Poo and Barapu Warapu villages Uni Ramo village Bouni Sumo village Bobe Nouri village Usher 2020 edit Usher groups the languages as follows with each node being a reconstructable clade and giving the family a geographic label rather than naming it after a single language The Eastern languages are typologically quite distinct from the Western languages and I saka 7 Vanimo Coast I saka West Skou Leitre Dumo Dusur Vanimo Sangke Wutung Sangke Nyao Wutung East Piore River Barupu Bauni Uri Bouni Nouri Serra Hills Puare Rawo Pini Womo Sumararu Pronouns edit The pronouns Ross reconstructs for proto Skou are I na we ne thou me you he ka they M ke she bo they F de The Skou languages also have a dual with a distinction between inclusive and exclusive we but the forms are not reconstructable for the proto language Pronouns in individual Skou languages 1 pronoun I saka Barupu Wutung Skou 1 SG nana nena niɛ ni 2 SG mama mema mɛ me 3M SG kia ya ʔe ke 3F SG umu bo ce pe 1 PL numu memi nɛtu ne 2 PL yumu mŏpu ɛtu e 3 PL i e yei tɛtu te Cognates edit Sko family cognates I saka Barupu Wutung Skou listed by Foley 2018 1 Sko family cognates gloss I saka Barupu Wutung Skou hand dou eno noʔɛ no tooth kũ e ʔũ ke breast ni to no no woman bu bom wũawũa pɛɨma bird yũ ru tĩ ta dog naki naʔi nake water wi pi pa old tuni tɔra rototo eat a ou u a a A cognate set for louse in Sko languages reconstructing roughly to nipi in Proto Sko as compiled by Dryer 2022 8 Language group louse Serra Hills ni nip nipi Warapu mi Western Sko pi fi pĩ Isaka ẽĩ Vocabulary comparison edit The following basic vocabulary words are from Voorhoeve 1971 1975 9 10 as cited in the Trans New Guinea database 11 More recent data from Marmion 2010 12 has been added for Wutung and from Donohue 2002 13 as cited in the ASJP Database for Skou gloss Wutung Marmion 2010 12 Wutung Voorhoeve 1975 10 Skou Donohue 2002 13 14 Skou Voorhoeve 1971 1975 9 10 head hluqbur kesu rebi robe ro e hair tang ta ta ta ear qurlur le lo eye lurto reto lu luto lutɔ nose ha ha tooth qung ke ke ko leg knaŋku tae louse hehe fi fi dog naqi naki nakE nakɛ pig ca tyamu palɛ bird ting ta taa taŋa egg kuekue ku ta ko blood hnjie hi hi hi bone qey e e ee skin ma nua na ro no re no rɔ breast no no nɔ tree ri ri rite ri man panyua teba kE ba ba keba kebane teba woman wungawunga 3mE pemɛ sun hlang hra ra raa moon kE ke water ca tya pa pa fire hie hae ra ra stone wolong koŋũ wu hũ wũ eat saqengpua 1 SG a ka pa ta one ofa ofa ali ali two hnyumo hime hi tu hĩ to See also edit Papuan languages References edit a b c d e f Foley William A 2018 The Languages of the Sepik Ramu Basin and Environs In Palmer Bill ed The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area A Comprehensive Guide The World of Linguistics Vol 4 Berlin De Gruyter Mouton pp 197 432 ISBN 978 3 11 028642 7 a b Foley William A 2018 The languages of Northwest New Guinea In Palmer Bill ed The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area A Comprehensive Guide The World of Linguistics Vol 4 Berlin De Gruyter Mouton pp 433 568 ISBN 978 3 11 028642 7 Wichmann Soren 2013 A classification of Papuan languages In Hammarstrom Harald and Wilco van den Heuvel eds History contact and classification of Papuan languages Language and Linguistics in Melanesia Special Issue 2012 313 386 Port Moresby Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea Donohue Mark Crowther Melissa 2005 Meeting in the middle interaction in North Central New Guinea In Andrew Pawley Robert Attenborough Robin Hide Jack Golson eds Papuan pasts cultural linguistic and biological histories of Papuan speaking peoples Canberra Pacific Linguistics pp 167 184 ISBN 0 85883 562 2 OCLC 67292782 Donohue Mark P 2007 A Grammar of the Skou Language of New Guinea Unpublished manuscript Miller Steve A 2017 Skou Languages Near Sissano Lagoon Papua New Guinea Language and Linguistics in Melanesia 35 1 24 New Guinea World Vanimo Coast Dryer Matthew S 2022 Trans New Guinea IV 2 Evaluating Membership in Trans New Guinea a b 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 a b c 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 Greenhill Simon 2016 TransNewGuinea org database of the languages of New Guinea Retrieved 2020 11 05 a b Marmion Doug 2010 Topics in the Phonology and Morphology of Wutung PDF Canberra Australian National University a b Donohue Mark Skou Dictionary Draft Ms Wichmann Soren 2020 The ASJP Database Retrieved 2021 01 20 Laycock Donald C 1975 Sko Kwomtari and Left May Arai phyla In Stephen A Wurm ed Papuan languages and the New Guinea linguistic scene New Guinea area languages and language study 1 Canberra Dept of Linguistics Research School of Pacific Studies Australian National University pp 849 858 OCLC 37096514 Ross Malcolm 2005 Pronouns as a preliminary diagnostic for grouping Papuan languages In Andrew Pawley Robert Attenborough Robin Hide Jack Golson eds Papuan pasts cultural linguistic and biological histories of Papuan speaking peoples Canberra Pacific Linguistics pp 15 66 ISBN 0858835622 OCLC 67292782 External links edit Skou languages database at TransNewGuinea org Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Skou languages amp oldid 1216689681, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
