Mek languages
# Mek languages

The Mek languages are a well established family of Papuan languages spoken by the Mek peoples. They form a branch of the Trans–New Guinea languages (TNG) in the classifications of Stephen Wurm (1975) and of Malcolm Ross (2005).

Mek, then called Goliath, was identified by M. Bromley in 1967. It was placed in TNG by Wurm (1975).

## Languages

The Mek languages form three dialect chains (Heeschen 1998):

* Eastern: Ketengban (including Okbap, Omban, Bime, Onya), Una (Goliath), Eipomek
* Northern: Kosarek Yale–Nipsan, Nalca
* Western: Korupun-Sela (including Dagi, Sisibna, Deibula)

## Proto-language

### Phonemes

Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant and vowel inventories as 'perhaps' as follows:

    *m*n*ŋ *p*t*k*kʷ *(m)b*(n)d*(ŋ)g*(ŋ)gʷ *s *w*l*j

    iu eo ɛɔ aɒ
    eiou ɛiɔu aiau aɛaɔ

### Pronouns

Pronouns are:

    sgpl 1 *na*nu[n] 2 *kan*kun (?) 3 *ɛl *tun, *[t/s]ig

The difference between the two 3pl forms is not known. 2pl and 3pl have parallels in Momuna /kun tun/.

### Basic vocabulary

Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:

    glossProto-MekProto-East MekKimyalProto-Northwest MekProto-Momuna-MekMomuna hair/feather *p[ɔ]t[ɔ]ŋ*pɔtɔŋosoŋ*hɔŋ ear/twelve *aᵓɔ*aᵓ eye *atiŋ*asiŋisiŋ*haⁱŋ*ɒtigɒtù tooth/sharp *jo̝*jo̝jó tongue *se̝l[ija]mu*[se̝]l[ija]muselamu*se̝l[i]mu foot/leg *jan*janjan*jan*j[a/ɒ]n blood *e̝ne̝ŋ*ɪnɪŋeneŋ*e̝ne̝ŋ*jo̝ne̝g bone *jɔk*jɔkjw-aʔ*jɔʔ[ɔ] breast *mɔᵘm*mɔᵘmmoᵘm*mɔᵘm*mɔᵘmmɒ̃ᵘ louse *ami*amiimi*ami*amiami dog *gam*[k/g]amgam*gam*gɒmkɒ̀ pig *be̝sam*bɪsam*bhamwɒ́ bird *mak, *mag*mak-ma (?)*-ma (?)*makmá egg/fruit/seed *do̝[k]*dʊkdo*do̝[k]dɒko ~ dɒku tree/wood *galgal*gal*gɒlkɒ̀ woman/wife *ge̝l*[k/g]ɪlgel*ge̝l sun *k[ɛ]t[e̝]ŋ*k[ɛ]t[ɪ]ŋisiŋ*he̝ŋ moon *wal*walwal*wal water/river *m[ɛ/a]g*mɛkmag*m[ɛ/a]g fire *o̝ᵘg*ʊᵘkug*[u]g stone *gɛⁱl; *gidig*[k/g]ɛⁱlgirig*gidigkè path/way *bi[t/s]ig*bi[t/s]ikbisig*bhig name *si*sisi*si*sisi eat/drink *de̝-(b)*dɪ-(b)de-*de̝-(b)de- one *[na]tɔn*tɔnnason*nhɔn two/ring finger *b[e̝/ɛ]te̝ne̝*b[ɪ/ɛ]tɪnɪbesene*bhe̝ne̝

## Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from McElhanon & Voorhoeve (1970), Voorhoeve (1975), and Heeschen (1978), as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:

    glossEipomekKorapun-SelaNalcaUnaYale, KorsarekKetengban head kiisokasakhukheiyɔ´; khe yokgiso hair fotongasuŋhoŋotoŋhong; hɔŋpotong ear amolamaléamol eye asingisiŋhiŋatsiŋheiŋ; hɩngasorue nose uuuryamu tooth siisisitsisitsi tongue sii tangselemúlyemngwe leg yan saŋyanyanyan louse amnyewutnavuamnyaami; ami´amnye dog kamkʰam; khamkamkamkam pig basamphamphamudukpam; phambesam bird makewinaŋwiniŋmaiwinang; winaŋma egg dukwaŋgadougwinaŋ wana; winang wangkádo blood ininginiŋiniŋeneŋ; iningyabye bone yokeiaŋ birinyogyok; youyo skin boxaphokkon breast taramsaramtaram tree yokal; khalkal; khalkalco man niminimnimi woman kilapekəlabonerape sky iimimim sun ketingeisiŋhiŋhein; hɛnggetane moon walewalware water mekmakmekmeyemakme fire uukweukukukeouk̂; owukwe stone kedingekhirikkirikwaliŋkirikgil road, path biisiikbibisi name siiutnimisisisi eat dibmaldilomkwaːniŋel dilamla; tiu loŋajibmar one tonthoxunoknhonotunohon; se'lektegen two bisinipheinpɛndɛ; phendebitini

## Evolution

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

Eipo language:

* mun ‘belly’ < *mundun ‘internal organs’
* kuna ‘shadow’ < *k(a,o)nan
* saŋ ‘dancing song’ < *saŋ
* getane ‘sun’ < *kVtane

Bime language:

* mundo ‘belly’ < *mundun ‘internal organs’

Kosarek language:

* ami ‘louse’ < *niman
* si ‘tooth’ < *(s,t)i(s,t)i
* tomo < *k(i,u)tuma ‘night’

Yale language:

* de ‘to burn’ < *nj(a,e,i)
* mon ‘belly’ < *mundun ‘internal organs’
* xau ‘ashes’ < *kambu
