Timothy Usher, Santa Fe Instritute
[under construction]
Drabbe (1950) grammar and (pp. 131-142) 408 comparative terms for Sjiàgha
Drabbe (1954: 231-255) 100 comparative terms for Sjiàgha
Drabbe (1959:162-181) 431 comparative terms for Sjiàgha
Voorhoeve (1975: 375-376) brief general description of Syiagha
[under construction]
Drabbe (1950: 94-96) gives 16 consonants and 6 vowels for Sjiàgha as follows:
| m | n | ||
| p | t | k | |
| b | d | g | |
| ŋ | |||
| f | s | ʃ | x |
| w | r | j |
| i | u | |
| e | o | |
| ɛ | ||
| a |
Drabbe (1950: 99-102) gives Sjiàgha pronouns in two case forms as follows:
| nominative | possessive | |
| 1 sg. | no | na |
| 2 sg. | go | ga |
| 3 sg. | ewe, ege | wa |
| 1 pl. | noɣo | 'naɣa |
| 2 pl. | goɣo | 'gaɣa |
| 3 pl. | joɣo | 'jaɣa |
Possessives are preposed to the nominals they modify. They may be found in prefixed form before some kin terms, e.g. /a'mutu/ “son”, /n-a'mutu/ “my son”, /'otob-ra/ “daughter”, /w-'otob-ra/ “his daughter,” /a'jɛ/ “father”, /gaɣ-a'jɛ/ “your (pl.) father” (p. 102.)
Drabbe (1950: 104-105) gives six numbers for Sjiàgha as follows:
| 1 | e'ʃa |
| 2 | o'komo |
| 3 | okom-e'ʃa |
| 4 | okom-o'komo |
| 5 | bed-afi-bumo |
| 10 | sɛ |
According to Drabbe, /bed-afi/ in the term for “five” means “one hand.”
[under construction]
Attestations in the charts which follow are drawn from Drabbe (1950: 108-129.)
As in other Digul River languags, there is no distinction between second and third person forms (q.v. de Vries, Wester and van Heuvel 2012: 282, 296):
| present | today past | yesterday | |||||||
| -ø | -C | -N | -ø | -C | -N | -ø | -C | -N | |
| 1 sg. | -d | -d | -nd | -dVwe | -dVwe | -ndVwe | -ɣV-dewe | -gV-dewe | -ŋgV-dewe |
| 2/3 sg. | -ɣ | -g | -ŋg | -kVre | -gVre | -ŋgVre | -ɣV-dere | -gV-dere | -ŋgV-dere |
| 1 pl. | -da | -da | -nda | -dowa | -dowa | -ndowa | -ɣV-dowa | -gV-dowa | -ŋgV-dowa |
| 2/3 pl. | -ɣona | -goɣona | -ŋgoɣona | -kena | -gena | -ŋgena | -ɣV-dena | -gV-dena | -ŋgV-dena |
| -ø | -C | -N | |
| 1 sg. | |||
| 2/3 sg. | |||
| 1 pl. | |||
| 2/3 pl. |
…
| -ø | -C | -N | |
| 1 sg. | |||
| 2/3 sg. | |||
| 1 pl. | |||
| 2/3 pl. |
…
| -ø | -C | -N | |
| 1 sg. | |||
| 2/3 sg. | |||
| 1 pl. | |||
| 2/3 pl. |
…
| -ø | -C | -N | |
| 1 sg. | |||
| 2/3 sg. | |||
| 1 pl. | |||
| 2/3 pl. |
…
| -ø | -C | -N | |
| 1 sg. | |||
| 2/3 sg. | |||
| 1 pl. | |||
| 2/3 pl. |
…
| -ø | -C | -N | |
| 1 sg. | |||
| 2/3 sg. | |||
| 1 pl. | |||
| 2/3 pl. |