Paniai Lakes languages
# Paniai Lakes languages

The Paniai Lakes languages, also known as the Wissel Lakes or Wissel Lakes – Kemandoga River, are a small family of closely related Trans–New Guinea languages spoken in the Paniai Lakes region of the highlands of Western New Guinea in the Paniai Lakes region of Papua. Foley (2003) considers their Trans–New Guinea status to be established.

## Languages

The languages are:

* Moni
* Central
   * Wolani (Wodani)
   * Ekari (Ekari)
   * Auye (incl. Dao)

They are most closely related to the Dani languages, Amung and Dem.

## Pronouns

Independent pronouns and possessive prefixes are:

    singulardualplural 1 *ani, *na-*ina*ini, *ni- 2 *aka, *ka-*ika*iki 3 *oka, *e-

## Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from Larson & Larson (1972) and Voorhoeve (1975), as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:

    glossEkari (Paniai Lake dialect)EkariMoni (Kemandoga dialect)MoniWolani (Upper Mbijandoga dialect)Wolani head migomuŋagimoto hair iyombaguelo eye pekaseŋgamu nose jumajangejuma tooth egóegobagabagahegohego tongue etádabedebegada leg badobado louse ukaukaamuamuukauka dog dodihomekawino pig ekinawogoiŋgina bird bedobedobekabegabidobido egg nipoŋgeda blood emoemoekaegaemoemo bone mitoomitooiwaiwamitoomitoo skin kadókadoadaadaebadaebada breast amaamaama tree pijapiyabobopijapiya man jameyameakamememe sun meuka; tanitaniemondaniemondanidamedame moon agootinawiagoo water uwouwoduduuwouwo fire bodijabodiyausausabidabida stone mogomogohomaŋedahumahuma road, path itákejakohindá name ekaekaejeezeekadaekada eat nainainuijanuyanonanona one ena; kateena; katohakohagonaanaa two wijáwiyahijahiyawijáwiya

## Evolution

Paniai Lakes reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma are:

Ekari language:

* ama ‘breast’ < *amu
* benáî ‘arm’ < *mbena
* modo ‘belly’ < *mundun
* ama ‘breast’ < *amu
* kado ‘skin’ < *k(a,o)(nd,t)apu
* yame ‘louse’ < *niman
* mei- ‘come’ < *me
* wawa ‘father’ < *mbapa
* mana ‘speech, talk’ < *mana ‘instructions’
* tani ‘sun’ < *ketane

Moni language:

* ama ‘breast’ < *amu
* (duku)mudu ‘heart’ < *mundun ‘internal organs, belly’
* ada ‘skin’ < *k(a,o)(nd,t)apu
* pane ‘woman’ < *panV
* timu ‘night’ < *k(i,u)tuma
* homa ‘stone’ < *ka(mb,m)uCV
* usa ‘tree’ < *inda
* me- ‘come’ < *me-
