The Asmat–Muli Strait languages are a branch of the Trans–New Guinea languages spoken along the southern coast of Indonesian New Guinea, established by Timothy Usher and Edgar Suter.
Protoforms of basic vocabulary include *moi 'water', *iafVnV 'ear', *uase 'name', *awoɣ 'breast'.
Subdivision
Asmat–Muli Strait consists of two primary subgroups: Asmat–Kamrau Muli Strait (or Mombum, Komolom)
Proto-language
Phonology
Proto-Asmat–Muli Strait is reconstructed with 12 consonants and 5 vowels:
{ |
| *m || *n || ||
|-
| *p || *t || || *k
|-
| *(m)b || *(n)d || || *(ŋ)g
|-
| || *s || ||
|-
| *w || *ɾ || *j ||
|}
Vowels are *a *e *i *o *u.
Basic vocabulary
Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:
{ | class="wikitable sortable" ! gloss !! Proto-Asmat-Muli !! Proto-Asmat-Kamrau !! Proto-Muli Strait |- ! head/hair | *gVɸV || *uɸu || *ɣo̝p, *ɣo̝w |- ! ear | *iaɸVnV || *iaɸ[a/o]ne || *ie̝pær |- ! nose/tip | *mVnVgV || *m[e/a]n[e] || *mæne̝ɣ |- ! tooth/sharp | *sisV || *sisV || *-sir |- ! blood | *[i/e]sV || *ese || *ir |- ! breast | *awVgV || *awo || *abuɣ |- ! louse | *amV || *amo || *am |- ! dog | *iuwuɾi || *juwuɾi || *i[u]bui |- ! pig | *[o/u]ɸV || *oɸo || *up |- ! egg | *[o]k[a] || *oka || |- ! sun | *jau[a] || *jawu || *zaua |- ! water | *mVi || *moi || *mo̝i |- ! name | *uase || *uwase || *ur |- ! eat | *nV || *nV || *no̝ku |}
References
External links
Timothy Usher & Edgar Suter, New Guinea World, Proto–Asmat – Muli Strait
Asmat-Kamrau Bay. New Guinea World. Asmat-Kamoro. New Guinea World. Asmat. New Guinea World. Kamrau Bay. New Guinea World. Muli Strait. New Guinea World.