Muyu
Timothy Usher, Santa Fe Institute
Situation
The Muyu family consists of at least three languages spoken in the lowlands south of New Guinea's central cordillera and east of the Kao river, along and around the courses of the Muyu and Tedi rivers, on both sides of the border between Indonesia's Papua province and Papua New Guinea's Western province.
Sublassification
The internal classification of Muyu is as follows:
Muyu
North Muyu
South Muyu
Yongkom
Sources
Austen (1920-1921: 132) vocabulary of (North) Muiu of Kandam village
Austen (1921-1922: 159-162) 132 comparative terms for Marapka (Yongkom,) West Tedi River (Yongkom,) Kandam (North Muyu) and Anu (South Muyu)
Austen (1924-1925: 75) 37 comparative terms for Ionggom
Geurtjens (1933: 398-433) 457 comparative terns for Digoeleesch (South Muyu)
Boelaars (1950: 68-76) English language recension of Drabbe's then-unpublished grammar of Niinati (North Muyu)
Drabbe (1954: 150-211) grammar and (pp. 214-229) 419 comparative terms and (pp. 231-255) 100 comparative terms for Kati Niinatì (North Muyu) and Katì Metòkma (South Muyu)
Drabbe (1959: 162-181) 431 comparative terms for Kati I (Metomka) and Kati II (Niinati)
Healey (1964: 78-97) 120 comparative terms for Lowland Ok languages and (pp. 170-180) 156 Lowland Ok reconstructions
Voorhoeve (1975: 381-383) general descriptions of Southern Kati, Northern Kati and Yonggom
Voorhoeve (1975: 97) 29 comparative terms for Yonggom of Lake Murray and (p. 98) 40 for North Kati and South Kati drawn from Drabbe
Stokhof ed. (1982) Holle comparative vocabularies of (pp. 123-124) Central & Lower Uwimerah (South Muyu) (unattributed) , (pp. 151-161) Kaôh (South Muyu) after van Doorn, (pp. 163-173) Muyu (North Muyu) after van Doorn and (pp. 175-185) Tanah Merah area (mix of Muyu dialects) (unattributed)
Christensen (1995) grammar of Yongkom (unobtained)
Christensen (1999) orthography of Yongkom (unobtained)
Christensen (2000) phonology of Yongkom (unobtained)
Christensen (2000) grammar of Yongkom (unobtained)
Christensen (2002) sketch phonology of Yongkom
Christensen (2010) Yongkom discourse
Christensen (2013) grammar of Yongkom (unobtained)
Donohue (1996: 18-50) 151 comparative terms for (North) Muyu
Historical phonology
[under construction]
Proto-Muyu had perhaps 12 consonants and 5 or 6 vowels as follows:
*m | *n | ||
*p | *t | *kʲ | *k |
*mb | *nd | *ŋg | |
*w | *r | *j |
*i | [*ʉ] | *u |
*e | *o | |
*a |
…
Due to vowel-levelling in pre-Muyu, proto-Muyu native roots are of three forms: 1) monosyllables /*(C)V₁(C) 2) disyllables /*aCV₂(C)/ and 3) disyllables /*(C)V₂CV₂(C)/, with a small number of trisyllables patterning with the disyllable types. Words which violate these structures are compounds or loans.
It might be argued that Proto-Muyu, like Mountain Ok to the northeast, distinguished vowel length, as is assumed for Lowland Ok in Healey (1964.) There are four circumstances in which contrastive long vowels are known to have arisen in Muyu languages: 1) an initial plain bilabial stop /*p/, probably realized as de-occluded fricative [*h] as in Ninggerum, once existed but has been dropped, with compensentory length added to the following now-initial vowel. 2) a word-medial plain velar stop /*k/ once existed but has been dropped, leaving a long vowel with the quality of the second. 3) an initial palatalized plain velar stop /*kʲ/ has been droppped in South Muyu and Yonggom, with the same effect as the loss of initial /*p/. 4) a medial non-stop /*w *j/ has been dropped between high vowels /*u/ or /*i/ respectively.
Since all three stops are needed in proto-Muyu anyhow (possibly excepting final /*p/, which, thought it reflects Ok /*p/ not final /*mb/ which has merged with /*m/, might be reassigned to an allophone of prenasalized /*mb/ per Healey 1964,) we've concluded it simpler to represent these instances at the proto-Muyu level with their lost segments where these are recoverable, rather than with phonemic vowel length.
Only a restricted set of consonants occurs finally:
*m | *n | |
*p | *t | *k |
*ŋg [ŋ] | ||
*r |
Initial consonants correspond as follows, with Healey's (1964: 169) Lowland Ok values presented for comparison:
Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Healey |
*m- | m | m | m | *m |
*n- | n | n | n | *n |
*pV- | *hV | |||
*t- | t | t | t | *t |
*kʲ- | t | ø | ø | *c |
*k- | k | k | k | *k |
*mb- | p | mb | *b | |
*nd- | n | nd | *d | |
*w- | w | w | w | *w |
*j- | j | j | j | *y *Y *ky |
Medial consonants correspond as follows:
Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Healey |
*-m- | m | m | m | *m |
*-n- | n | n | n | *n |
*-p- | ||||
*-t- | t | t | t | *t |
*-VkV- | V: | V: | V: | *V: |
*-mb- | p | mb | *b | |
*-mb-/#a_ | mb | mb | mb | *mb |
*-nd- | n | nd | n | *N |
*-ŋg- | ŋg | ŋg | ŋg | *ŋk |
*-w- | *w | |||
*-r- | r | r | r | *d |
*-j- | *D |
Final consonants correspond as follows:
Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Healey |
*-m | m | m | m | *m |
*-n | n | n | n | *n |
*-p | p | p | p | *b |
*-t | t | t | t | *t |
*-k | k | k | k | *k *K |
*-ŋg [ŋ] | ŋg [ŋ] | ŋg [ŋ] | ŋg [ŋ] | *ŋ |
*-r | *T |
Vowels correspond as follows:
Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Healey |
*i | i | i | i | *i |
*ʉ | — | |||
*u | u | u | u | *u |
*e | e | e | e | *e |
*o | o | o | o | *o |
*a | a | a | a | *a |
These correspondences are exemplified as follows, with forms drawn from Austen (1921-1922: 162, 1924-1925: 75,) from Geurtjens (1933: 398-433,) from Drabbe (1954: 214-229, 1959: 162-181) from Donohue (1996: 18-50) and from Christensen (2002 ibid., 2010 ibid.) For clarity of presentation, the general dispositions of initial consonants will presented first, then those of medial consonants, then those of final cononants, followed by those of vowels. Some details of the forms which follow are necessarily tentative.
Any consonant can occur initially except prenasalized velar stop /*ŋg/ and apical non-stop /*r/, although there is no overt appearance of initial plain bilabial stop /*p/ (below.)
Initial bilabial nasal /*m/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*m- | m | m | m | m | m | m | |
one | *mi[:]-mo) | mim ~ miim | mim | mim-mo | mim-o | mim-o | |
star | *min(-toŋg) | nim-toŋ [sic] | min-oo | min-doŋ | |||
son | *min-ki | miŋgi | miŋgi | ||||
black/dark | *mitik | mitik | mitik | mitik | |||
netbag | *men | meen | men | men | men ~ mæn | men | |
lake | *men(-mbokon) | me-bon | men-boon | ||||
vein/tendon | *mer-mer | mekmet | |||||
spear | *manat | manat | manat | manat | |||
shoulder | *mak | mak | mak | ||||
grandchild | *mondop | monop [ah] | monop | mondob | |||
bee sp. | *moŋg | mombim | moŋ | ||||
mouth | *moŋgot | moŋgot | moŋgot | moŋgot | moŋgat | moŋgot | |
child | *mun | muŋ- | mun | ||||
nose | *mutu | muut- | mutu | mutu | |||
breast | *muk | muk | muk | muk | mu | muk | muk |
gall/bile | *muŋg | muŋ | muŋ |
Initial apical nasal /*n/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*n- | n | n | n | n | n | n | |
hot | *nimin | nimin | nimin | nimin | nimin | ||
snake | *ni[k/j]in | niin | nin | nin | niin | ||
younger brother | *niŋg-ki | niŋki [ah] | |||||
tooth/sharp | *niŋgi(-ambo) | niŋg-ambo | niŋgi-tuk | niŋg-ambo | niŋg-ambo | ||
centipede | *niŋgirim | niŋgirim | iŋgirim [sic] | niŋgirim | |||
1 sg. | *ne | ne | ne | ne | ne | ne | ne |
younger sister | *neŋg-kan | neŋkan | |||||
mother | *(e-)na[ŋg] | naŋ | enaŋ | enaŋ | eːna | ena | ena |
rattan/rope | *noŋg | noŋ | noŋ | noŋ | noŋ | ||
1 pl. | *nup | nup | nup | nup | nup | nub |
Plain bilabial stop /*p/ is not directly visible, as Lowland Ok initial /*p/ has been dropped in all descendants. However, it is evidenced by the lengthening of the now-initial vowel which followed it:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | |
*pV- [hV] |
Initial plain apical stop /*t/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*t- | t | t | t | t | t [d t] | d | |
bow | *tinim | tinim | tinim | tinim | tinim | dinim | |
hand/arm | *tiŋgi | tini | tiŋgi | diŋgi | |||
hole | *tem | -tem | -ten | -tem | -teːm | -tem | |
sour | *terep | terep | terep | teːreːb | |||
younger sib | *taman | taman | taman | taman | |||
child | *tana | tana | tana | tana | tana | tana | dana |
palm/sole | *tat | tat | dat | ||||
stone axe | *taka(-mat) | taa | tamat | taamat | tamar | daa | |
joint/body part | *tom | -tom | -tom | -tom | -rom | ||
armpit | *toŋgon | toŋgon | tooŋ- | ||||
short | *tuk | tuk | duk | ||||
blind | *tu[k/w]ut | tuut | tuut | tut |
Palatalized plain velar stop /*kʲ/ occurs only initially. It is generally fronted to apical /t/ in North Muyu and dropped in South Muyu and Yongkom:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*kʲ- | t | t | ø | ø | ø | ø | |
body/chest | *kʲit | tit | it | it | id | ||
enough | *kʲi[k/j]ip | tiip | iip | ip | |||
widow | *kʲirip | tirip | irip | ||||
louse | *kʲ[i/u]m | tim | tim | im | im | um | |
flower | *kʲet | tet | tet | et | |||
pinkie | *(ket-)kʲet | ketet | eet | et | eːt | ||
fish | *kʲon | ton | ton | on | ɔn | on | oon |
thunder | *kʲumun | tumun |
Palatalized /*kʲ/ originated as the reflex of Lowland Ok plain velar and rounded velar stops /*k *kʷ/ when followed by front vowels /*i *e/, before the qualities of nuclear vowels were levelled to match those of following syllables.
The second person maculine singular and plural pronouns observe this correspondence, except that Donohue's (1996: 41, 44) North Muyu forms are given with velar [k]:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*kʲ- | t | k | ø | ø | ø | ø | |
2 pl. | *kʲip | tip | kip | jip | jiib | ||
2 sg. m. | *kʲep | tep | kep | ep | ep | eb |
One high-profile exception in both Donohue's Muyu and in the South Muyu reflex is probably attributable to tension between compounded and uncompounded forms which underwent vowel levelling, although why the version /*kon-jop/ isn't /*kʲon-jop/ remains unexplained:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*kʲ- | t | k | k | k | ø | ||
eye | *kʲin(-jop) | tin(-op) | indop | ||||
eye | *kon-jop | konop | konjop | konjoːp |
Initial plain velar stop /*k/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*k-/_i e | k | k | k | k | k [g] | ||
hair/feather(s) | *kimi | kimi | kimi | kimi | kimi | gimi | |
root | *kimbi | kipi-kap | a-kimbi | a-kipi | gipi-kap | ||
yesterday | *kimbi(-nokon) | kipi-noon | kimbi-joom | kipi-non | |||
navel | *kimbin | kipin | kimbiŋgo | gimbiŋgo | |||
spirit/soul | *kin-kin | kinkin | kiŋkin | ||||
sweat | *kitin | kitin | kitin | ||||
nose | *kiriŋg | kiniŋ | kiˈriŋ | kiriŋ | giriŋ | ||
lime/gourd | *kemen | kemen [ah] | kemen [ah] | kemmen | gemen | ||
kunai grass | *ketek | ketek | keːtek | ||||
nape | *ketek | ketek | ketek | keːteːk | getik | ||
ear | *kende | kene | kene | kende | gen- | ||
young | *kewet | kewet | kemet | kewet | keːwer ~ keːwet | ||
hornbill | *keweɾ | kewet [ah] | kewet [ah] | gewet | |||
*k-/_a o u | k | k | k | k | k [k] | ||
person | *ka | ka- | ka- | ka- | ka- | ka- | ka- |
belly | *kamba | kapa | kapa | kamba | |||
areca nut | *kamban | kapan | kamban | ||||
shoulder | *kan | kan | kaŋ-gondo | kandom | |||
skin/bark | *kat | kat | kat | kat | kar | kat | |
fat/muscle | *kop | kop | kop | kop | kob | ||
woman | *kon | kon | kon | ||||
canoe | *kono[:] | kono | kono | kono | kɔnɔ | konoo | |
cough/phlegm | *konom | konom | konom | ||||
head | *kotorok | kotoˈrok | kotorok | kotorok | kotrok | kororok | |
bone | *kondo | kono | kono | kondo | kondo | kɔnɔ | |
cliff/slope | *kot | koːt | |||||
dry | *kok | kok | |||||
bitter | *ko[ko]k | kook | kok | ||||
thin | *kokot | koot | koot | ||||
frog | *kor | kot | |||||
sago stem(s) | *kowot | kowot | kowot | ||||
testicle | *kumbu | kupu | |||||
scar | *kumburu | ˈkupuru | ˈkumburu | ||||
heavy | *kukun | kuun | kun | ||||
fence | *kuk | kuk | ku | ||||
white | *ku[p/k]-[ko]ndi | kuk-ni | kup-ni | kuk-kondi | |||
wrist | *kuŋg | kuŋ |
One example in which North Muyu /k/ is expected Drabbe gives with /t/, probably by analogy to the second persons masculine and plural with initial /*kʲ/ (above) where /t/ is regular:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*k-/_u | t | k | |||||
2 sg. f. | *kup | tup | kup |
Initial prenasalized bilabial stop /*mb/ is denasalized to plain stop [p] in North Muyu and to voiced [b] in Yongkom:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*mb- | p | b | mb [mb b] | mb [b] | mb [b] | mb [b] | |
earthquake | *mbim | mbim | |||||
forearm | *mben | pen | mben | ben ~ bɛn | ben | ||
crocodile | *mbenep | penep | benet | berep | beneb | benep | |
close eyes | *mb[ʉ]nd- | pune- | mbinde- | ||||
cuscus | *mba | pa | ba | ||||
earth/ground | *mbatap | patap | barap | ||||
wound/corpse | *mbop | pop | bop | mbop | bob | ||
enemy | *mbon | pon | mbon | bon | |||
stone | *mbot | pot | bot | mbot | bot | bot | bot |
place | *mbokon | -pon ~ -mbon | -(m)bon | -mbon | -(m)bon | -bon | -boon ~ -bon |
outside | *mbun | pun | mbun | ||||
elbow | *mbuŋgup | puŋgup | buŋgumat | ||||
wing | *mburu | puru | mburu |
Initial prenasalized apical stop /*nd/ is, like medial /*nd/ (below,) merged with nasal /*n/ in North Muyu, disappearing as a phoneme. It is realized as voiced stop [d] in Yonggom:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*nd- | n | n | nd [nd d] | d | d | ||
bamboo | *ndim | nim | dim | dim | |||
cassowary | *ndijap | naap | nijap | ndiap | diab | diap | |
heart | *nd[ʉ]m-jop | mim-jop | ndim-jop | ||||
not/no | *ndo | noo | nowan | ndoan | dowan | dɔ |
Initial prenasalized velar stop /*ŋg/ does not occur, Lowland Ok medial /*ŋg/ having been merged with plain stop /*k/ (above).
Initial bilabial non-stop /*w/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*w- | w | w [w β] | w | w [w b] | w | w | |
cloud | *wip | βip | amo iip | ||||
vomit | *wijin | wiin | wiin | ||||
chop | *wi[k/j]in- | wiine- | wine- | ||||
penis | *we | we | we | ||||
speech/voice | *weŋg | weŋ | weŋ | ||||
mami yam | *wan | wan | wan | wan | |||
grass skirt | *wonom | bonom~wonom | |||||
woman | *wonoŋg | wonoŋ | wunuŋ | wonoŋ | |||
drum | *wot | wot | wot | wɔd | wɔt | ||
moon | *wokor | woot | βot | woot | wod | woːt | wood |
Initial apical non-stop /*r/ does not occur, Lowland Ok initial /*r/ having been merged with /*j/ (below.)
Initial palatal non-stop /*j/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*j- | j | j | j | j [j dʲ] | j | j | |
3 pl. | *ji | ji | ji | ji | ji | ||
tail | *jimbi | jipi | jipi | jimbi | imbi | ||
sand | *jikin | jiiŋ | |||||
3 sg. m. | *je | je | je | je | je | ||
copulate | *jem- | jeme- | jemeŋga | ||||
taro | *jemen | jemen | jemen | jemen | jeːmen | iemen | |
boil (n.) | *j[ʉ]n | jik | jiŋ | ||||
thorn | *j[ʉ]k | jik | juk | ||||
blood | *jam | jam | |||||
flesh/body | *jom | jom | jom | jom | jom | ||
fruit/seed | *jop | jop | jop | jop | joːp | ||
foot/leg | *jon | jon | jon | ion | |||
sago bag | *jowo | jowɔ | iowo | ||||
flying fox | *jowom | jowom | |||||
ripe/red | *j[a/u]mu | jumu | jumu | jamu | jumu | ||
3 sg. f. | *ju | ju | ju | ju | |||
banana | *jum | jum | jum | jum | jium | ||
dream | *jum | jum | jum | ||||
placenta | *jum | jum | jum | ||||
urine | *jumun | jumun | jumun | jumun | jumu | ||
cold | *juruk | juruk | jurup | juruk | dʲuruk |
…:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*j- | ø | j | ø | ||||
correct/true | *[j]anam | anam | janam | ||||
raw/unripe | *[j][e/a]wip | ewep | jewip | aːwib | |||
Any consonant can occur medially except palatalized plain velar stop /*kʲ/. Root-medial bilabial stop /*p/ was rare in Ok, and has not been found to occur.
Medial bilabial nasal /*m/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-m- | m | m | m | m | m | ||
weep/cry | *am- | ameŋ | |||||
fire | *amor | amot | amo | amo | amot | ||
good/sweet | *amun | amun | amun | amun | |||
hot | *nimin | nimin | nimin | nimin | nimin | ||
younger sib | *taman | taman | taman | taman | |||
thunder | *kʲumun | tumun | |||||
hair/feather(s) | *kimi | kimi | kimi | kimi | kimi | gimi | |
lime/gourd | *kemen | kemen [ah] | kemen [ah] | kemmen | gemen | ||
copulate | *jem- | jeme- | jemeŋga | ||||
taro | *jemen | jemen | jemen | jemen | jeːmen | iemen | |
ripe/red | *j[a/u]mu | jumu | jumu | jamu | jumu | ||
urine | *jumun | jumun | jumun | jumun | jumu |
Medial apical nasal /*n/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-n- | n | n | n | n | n | n | |
eat/drink | *an- | ane- | anje- | ||||
name | *aniN-ko | aniŋgo | aniŋgo | anjiŋgo | anigo | anjiŋko | |
dog | *anon | anon | anon | anon | anom | anon | anon |
older sister | *oni | oni | oni | oni | |||
spear | *manat | manat | manat | manat | |||
crocodile | *mbenep | penep | benet | berep [sic] | beneb | benep | |
bow | *tinim | tinim | tinim | tinim | tinim | dinim | |
child | *tana | tana | tana | tana | tana | tana | dana |
canoe | *kono[:] | kono | kono | kono | kɔnɔ | konoo | |
cough/phlegm | *konom | konom | konom | ||||
chop | *wi[k/j]in- | wiine- | wine- | ||||
grass skirt | *wonom | bonom~wonom | |||||
woman | *wonoŋg | wonoŋ | wunuŋ | wonoŋ | |||
correct/true | *[j]anam | anam | janam | ||||
Medial plain bilabial stop /*p/ is not known to occur.
Medial plain apical stop /*t/ …:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-t- | t | t | t | t | t [t r] | r | |
belch | *atam | atam taare- | atan taare- | ||||
coconut | *atom | otom | atom | atom | atom | ||
sun | *aton | aton | aton | aton | aton | aron | aron |
… | *atur | atut | atut | ||||
black/dark | *mitik | mitik | mitik | mitik | |||
earth/ground | *mbatap | patap | barap | ||||
sweat | *kitin | kitin | kitin | ||||
kunai grass | *ketek | ketek | keːtek | ||||
nape | *ketek | ketek | ketek | keːteːk | getik | ||
man | *ka-tuk | katuk | katuk | katuk | katuk | karuk | karub |
head | *kotorok | kotoˈrok | kotorok | kotorok | kotrok | kororok |
Medial plain velar stop /*k/ …:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-VkV- | V: | V | V: | V | V: [V V:] | V: | |
husband | *ambiki | ambii | ambii | ambi | |||
wife | *ambakan | ambaan | amban | ambaan | amban | amban | |
stone axe | *taka(-mat) | taa | tamat | taamat | tamar | daa | |
enough | *kʲi[k/j]ip | tiip | iip | ip | |||
thin | *kokot | koot | koot | ||||
heavy | *kukun | kuun | kun | ||||
moon | *wokor | woot | βot | woot | wod | woːt | wood |
sand | *jikin | jiiŋ |
One exception to this lengthening in Drabbe's Niinati and Metomka is only found in suffixed and presumably unstressed positions:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-VkV- | V | V | V | V | V | V: V | |
place | *mbokon | -pon ~ -mbon | -(m)bon | -mbon | -(m)bon | -bon | -boon ~ bon |
…:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
bamboo vessel | *(ok-)ket | ow-et | o-get |
…:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-nk- | ŋg | ŋg | |||||
son | *min-ki | miŋgi | miŋgi | ||||
daughter | *mun-kan | muŋgan | muŋgan | ||||
*-ŋgk- | ŋg | ŋg | ŋg | ŋg | ŋg | ŋk | |
younger brother | *niŋg-ki | niŋki [ah] | |||||
younger sister | *neŋg-kan | neŋkan |
Medial prenasalized bilabial stop /*mb/ when preceded by initial low central vowel /*a/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-mb-/#a_ | mb | mb | mb | mb | mb | mb | |
husband | *ambiki | ambii | ambii | ambi | |||
village/house | *ambip | ambip | ambip | ambip | ambib | ambip | ambib |
father | *ambe | ambe | ambe | ambe | ambeː | ambe | |
sky | *amb[ʉ]t | ambut | ambut | ambut | ambut | ||
wife | *ambakan | ambaan | amban | ambaan | amban | amban | |
turtle | *ambom | ambom | ambom | ||||
laughter | *ambon | ambon | ambon |
When following a syllable with an initial consonant, /*mb/ is denasalized to [p] in North Muyu …:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-mb-/CV_ | p | p | mb | mb [p mb] | mb [mb p] | ||
root | *kimbi | kipi-kap | a-kimbi | a-kipi | gipi-kap | ||
yesterday | *kimbi(-nokon) | kipi-noon | kimbi-joom | kipi-non | |||
navel | *kimbin | kipin | kimbiŋgo | gimbiŋgo | |||
belly | *kamba | kapa | kapa | kamba | |||
areca nut | *kamban | kapan [sic] | kamban | ||||
testicle | *kumbu | kupu | |||||
scar | *kumburu | ˈkupuru | ˈkumburu | ||||
tail | *jimbi | jipi | jipi | jimbi | imbi |
Medial prenasalized apical stop /*nd/ is merged with nasal /*n/ in North Muyu and in Yongkom:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-nd- | n | n | nd | nd | n | n | |
arrow | *ando | ana | ano | ando | ando | ana ~ anda | ana |
grandchild | *mondop | monop [ah] | monop | mondob | |||
close eyes | *mb[ʉ]nd- | pune- | mbinde- | ||||
ear | *kende | kene | kene | kende | gen- | ||
who? | *ka-nde | kane | kande | ||||
bone | *kondo | kono | kono | kondo | kondo | kɔnɔ |
Medial prenasalized velar stop /*ŋg/ is generally retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-ŋg- | ŋg | ŋg | ŋg | ŋg | ŋg | ||
lie down | *aŋg- | aŋgeem | aŋgeem | aŋgem | aŋk- | ||
back | *aŋg[ʉ] | aŋgu | aŋgi | aŋgi | aŋgu | ||
thumb/five | *aŋgo | aŋgo | aŋgo | aŋgo | aŋko | ||
thumb/five | *aŋgo | aŋgo | aŋgo | aŋgo | aŋko | ||
cheek/molar | *aŋgo | ||||||
elbow | *mbuŋgup | puŋgup | buŋgumat | ||||
tooth/sharp | *niŋgi(-ambo) | niŋg-ambo | niŋgi-tuk | niŋg-ambo | niŋg-ambo | ||
centipede | *niŋgirim | niŋgirim | iŋgirim | niŋgirim | |||
hand/arm | *tiŋgi | tini | tiŋgi | diŋgi | |||
armpit | *toŋgon | toŋgon | tooŋ- |
Medial bilabial non-stop /*w/ …:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-w- | w | w | w | w [w b] | w | w | |
sugarcane | *awit | awit | awit | ||||
pig | *awon | awon | awon | abon | awon | awon | |
young | *kewet | kewet | kemet | kewet | keːwer ~ keːwet | ||
hornbill | *keweɾ | kewet [ah] | kewet [ah] | gewet | |||
sago stem(s) | *kowot | kowot | kowot | ||||
raw/unripe | *[j][e/a]wip | ewep | jewip | aːwib | |||
sago bag | *jowo | jowɔ | iowo | ||||
flying fox | *jowom | jowom |
Medial apical non-stop /*r/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-r- | r | r | r | r | r | r | |
cuirass | *irim | irim [ah] | idim [ah] | irim | |||
python/rainbow | *ari | ari | ari | ||||
wing | *mburu | puru | mburu | ||||
centipede | *niŋgirim | niŋgirim | iŋgirim | niŋgirim | |||
sour | *terep | terep | terep | teːreːb | |||
widow | *kʲirip | tirip | irip | ||||
nose | *kiriŋg | kiniŋ | kiˈriŋ | kiriŋg | giriŋ | ||
head | *kotorok | kotoˈrok | kotorok | kotorok | kotrok | kororok | |
scar | *kumburu | ˈkupuru | ˈkumburu | ||||
cold | *juruk | juruk | jurup | juruk | dʲuruk |
Medial palatal non-stop /*j/ …:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-j- | |||||||
goanna | *aji | adʲi | ji | ||||
cassowary | *ndijap | naap | nijap | ndiap | diab | diap |
Only a restricted set of consonants occurs finally, including nasals /*m n/, plain stops /*p *t *k/, prenasalized velar stop /*ŋg/, which as in other Ok subgroups is invariably realized as [ŋ], and apical non-stop /*r/.
Final bilabial nasal /*m/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-m | m | m | m | m | m | m | |
cuirass | *irim | irim [ah] | idim [ah] | irim | |||
rain/weather | *am | am | am | am | am | am | am |
house | *am | am | am | am | |||
turtle | *ambom | ambom | ambom | ||||
belch | *atam | atam taare- | atan taare- | ||||
coconut | *atom | otom | atom | atom | atom | ||
old (person) | *[ij]om | joom | joom | ||||
sago | *om | om | om | om | ɔm | om | om |
one | *mi[:]-mo) | mim ~ miim | mim | mim-mo | mim-o | mim-o | |
earthquake | *mbim | mbim | |||||
centipede | *niŋgirim | niŋgirim | iŋgirim | niŋgirim | |||
bow | *tinim | tinim | tinim | tinim | tinim | dinim | |
hole | *tem | -tem | -ten [sic] | -tem | -teːm | -tem | |
joint/body part | *tom | -tom | -tom | -tom | -rom | ||
bamboo | *ndim | nim | dim | dim | |||
heart | *nd[ʉ]m-jop | mim-jop [sic] | ndim-jop | ||||
louse | *kʲ[i/u]m | tim | tim | im | im | um | |
cough/phlegm | *konom | konom | konom | ||||
grass skirt | *wonom | bonom~wonom | |||||
blood | *jam | jam | |||||
correct/true | *[j]anam | anam | janam | ||||
flesh/body | *jom | jom | jom | jom | jom | ||
flying fox | *jowom | jowom | |||||
banana | *jum | jum | jum | jum | jium | ||
dream | *jum | jum | jum | ||||
placenta | *jum | jum | jum |
Final apical nasal /*n/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-n | n | n | n | n | n | n | |
good/sweet | *amun | amun | amun | amun | |||
wife | *ambakan | ambaan | amban | ambaan | amban | amban | |
laughter | *ambon | ambon | ambon | ||||
dog | *anon | anon | anon | anon | anom [sic] | anon | anon |
sun | *aton | aton | aton | aton | aton | aron | aron |
pig | *awon | awon | awon | abon | awon | awon | |
bird | *on | on | on | on | ɔn ~ on | on | |
star | *min(-toŋg) | nim-toŋ [sic] | min-oo | min-doŋ | |||
netbag | *men | meen | men | men | men ~ mæn | men | |
lake | *men(-mbokon) | me-bon | men-boon | ||||
child | *mun | muŋ- | mun | ||||
forearm | *mben | pen | mben | ben ~ bɛn | ben | ||
enemy | *mbon | pon | mbon | bon | |||
place | *mbokon | -pon ~ -mbon | -(m)bon | -mbon | -(m)bon | -bon | |
outside | *mbun | pun | mbun | ||||
hot | *nimin | nimin | nimin | nimin | nimin | ||
snake | *ni[k/j]in | niin | nin | nin | niin | ||
younger sib | *taman | taman | taman | taman | |||
armpit | *toŋgon | toŋgon | tooŋ- | ||||
eye | *kʲin(-jop) | tin(-op) | konop | konjop | konjoːp | indop | |
thunder | *kʲumun | tumun | |||||
fish | *kʲon | ton | ton | on | ɔn | on | oon |
navel | *kimbin | kipin | kimbiŋgo | gimbiŋgo | |||
spirit/soul | *kin-kin | kinkin | kiŋkin | ||||
sweat | *kitin | kitin | kitin | ||||
lime/gourd | *kemen | kemen [ah] | kemen [ah] | kemmen | gemen | ||
areca nut | *kamban | kapan [sic] | kamban | ||||
shoulder | *kan | kan | kaŋ-gondo | kandom | |||
woman | *kon | kon | kon | ||||
heavy | *kukun | kuun | kun | ||||
vomit | *wijin | wiin | wiin | ||||
mami yam | *wan | wan | wan | wan | |||
sand | *jikin | jiiŋ [sic] | |||||
taro | *jemen | jemen | jemen | jemen | jeːmen | iemen | |
boil (n.) | *j[ʉ]n | jik | jiŋ (?) | ||||
foot/leg | *jon | jon | jon | ion | |||
urine | *jumun | jumun | jumun | jumun | jumu [sic] |
Final plain bilabial stop /*p/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-p | p | p | p | p [b p] | p | p <b> | |
tree | *ap | ap | ap | ||||
village/house | *ambip | ambip | ambip | ambip | ambib | ambip | ambib |
two | *a[r/j]o[:]p | ajoop | erop | arop | arob | ajɔp | ajoob |
wind | *u[:]p | uup | up | ||||
grandchild | *mondop | monop [ah] | monop | mondob | |||
crocodile | *mbenep | penep | benet [sic] | berep | beneb | benep | |
earth/ground | *mbatap | patap | barap | ||||
wound/corpse | *mbop | pop | bop | mbop | bob | ||
elbow | *mbuŋgup | puŋgup | buŋgumat | ||||
1 pl. | *nup | nup | nup | nup | nup | nub | |
sour | *terep | terep | terep | teːreːb | |||
cassowary | *ndijap | naap | nijap | ndiap | diab | diap | |
2 pl. | *kʲip | tip | kip | jip | jiib | ||
enough | *kʲi[k/j]ip | tiip | iip | ip | |||
widow | *kʲirip | tirip | irip | ||||
2 sg. m. | *kʲep | tep | kep | ep | ep | eb | |
fat/muscle | *kop | kop | kop | kop | kob | ||
2 sg. f. | *kup | tup | kup | ||||
cloud | *wip | βip | amo iip | ||||
raw/unripe | *[j][e/a]wip | ewep | jewip | aːwib | |||
fruit/seed | *jop | jop | jop | jop | joːp |
Final plain apical stop /*t/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-t | t | t | t | t [t d r] | t | t d | |
forearm | *et | et | |||||
sky | *amb[ʉ]t | ambut | ambut | ambut | ambut | ||
tree | *at | at | at | at | at | ||
sugarcane | *awit | awit | awit | ||||
paddle | *ut | ut | ut | ut | ut | ||
spear | *manat | manat | manat | manat | |||
mouth | *moŋgot | moŋgot | moŋgot | moŋgot | moŋgat | moŋgot | |
stone | *mbot | pot | bot | mbot | bot | bot | bot |
palm/sole | *tat | tat | dat | ||||
body/chest | *kʲit | tit | it | it | id | ||
blind | *tu[k/w]ut | tuut | tuut | tut | |||
flower | *kʲet | tɛt | tet | ɛt | |||
pinkie | *(ket-)kʲet | ketet | eet | et | eːt | ||
bamboo vessel | *ket | -et | -get | ||||
young | *kewet | kewet | kemet | kewet | keːwer ~ keːwet | ||
hornbill | *keweɾ | kewet [ah] | kewet [ah] | gewet | |||
skin/bark | *kat | kat | kat | kat | kar | kat | |
cliff/slope | *kot | koːt | |||||
thin | *kokot | koot | koot | ||||
sago stem(s) | *kowot | kowot | kowot | ||||
drum | *wot | wot | wot | wɔd | wɔt |
Final plain velar stop /*k/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-k | k | k | k | k [k ø] | k | k | |
water | *ok | ok | ok | ok | ɔk ~ ok | ok | ok |
black/dark | *mitik | mitik | mitik | mitik | |||
shoulder | *mak | mak | mak | ||||
breast | *muk | muk | muk | muk | mu | muk | muk |
short | *tuk | tuk | duk | ||||
kunai grass | *ketek | ketek | keːtek | ||||
nape | *ketek | ketek | ketek | keːteːk | getik | ||
man | *ka-tuk | katuk | katuk | katuk | katuk | karuk | karub [sic] |
head | *kotorok | kotoˈrok | kotorok | kotorok | kotrok | kororok | |
dry | *kok | kok | |||||
bitter | *ko[ko]k | kook | kok | ||||
thorn | *j[ʉ]k | jik | juk | ||||
fence | *kuk | kuk | ku | ||||
cold | *juruk | juruk | jurup [sic] | juruk | dʲuruk |
Final prenasalized velar stop /*ŋg/ is realized as nasal [ŋ] in all descendants, as it is throughout the Ok family:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-ŋg | ŋ | ŋ | ŋ | ŋ | ŋ | ŋ | |
scabies | *eŋg | eŋ | eŋ | ||||
tongue | *oŋg | oŋ | oŋ | oŋ | oŋ | oŋ | |
bee sp. | *moŋg | mombim | moŋ | ||||
gall/bile | *muŋg | muŋ | muŋ | ||||
rattan/rope | *noŋg | noŋ | noŋ | noŋ | noŋ | ||
nose | *kiriŋg | kiniŋ | kiˈriŋ | kiriŋ | giriŋ | ||
wrist | *kuŋg | kuŋ | |||||
speech/voice | *weŋg | weŋ | weŋ | ||||
woman | *wonoŋg | wonoŋ | wunuŋ | wonoŋ |
Final apical non-stop /*r/ … :
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
*-r | t | ø | ø | t | |||
excrement | *or | ot | |||||
leaf | *o[:]r | ot | oo | o | |||
fire | *amor | amot | amo | amo | amot | ||
vein/tendon | *mer-mer | mekmet | |||||
hornbill | *keweɾ | kewet [ah] | kewet [ah] | gewet | |||
frog | *kor | kot | |||||
moon | *wokor | woot | βot | woot | wod | woːt | wood |
High front vowel /*i/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | |
*i | ||||||
*… |
High central vowel /*ʉ/ …:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | |
*ʉ | ||||||
*… |
High back vowel /*u/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | |
*u | ||||||
*… |
Mid front vowel /*e/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | |
*e | ||||||
*… |
Mid back vowel /*o/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | |
*o | ||||||
*… |
Low central vowel /*a/ is retained as such in all descendants:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | |
*a | ||||||
*… |
Due to vowel levelling rules, words of the form /*CV₁CV₂(C)/ are necessarily compounds or loans. …:
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | |
*… | ||||||
*… |
Pronouns
Muyu nominative pronouns are reconstructed as follows, with forms drawn from Austen (1921-1922: 162,) from Geurtjens (1933: 430-431,) from Drabbe (1954: 162-164) from Donohue (1996: 40-45) and from Christensen (2010 ibid.):
Muyu | North Muyu | North Muyu | South Muyu | South Muyu | Yongkom | Yongkom | |
Drabbe | Donohue | Drabbe | Geurtjens | Austen | Christensen | ||
1 sg. | *ne | ne | ne | ne | ne | ne | ne |
2 sg. m. | *kʲep | tep | kep | ep | ep | eb | |
2 sg. f. | *kup | tup | kup | ||||
3 sg. m. | *je | je | je | je | je | ||
3 sg. f. | *ju | ju | ju | ju | |||
1 pl. | *nup | nup | nup | nup | nup | nub | |
2 pl. | *kʲip | tip | kip | kip; jip | jiib | ||
3 pl. | *ji | ji | ji | ji | ji |
There is no attested distinction between first person exclusive /*nu/ and inclusive /*nup/ as there is in other Ok subfamilies.
Drabbe's North Muyu second person feminine pronoun is irregular; initial /k/ is expected. Conversely, Donohue's second person masculine and plural pronouns are irregular, where initial /t/ is expected (above.)
Verbal morphology
[under construction]
…
Loans from Dumut
[under construction]
…