Sepik Hill languages
# Sepik Hill languages

The Sepik Hill languages form the largest and most ramified branch of the Sepik languages of northern Papua New Guinea. They are spoken along the southern margin of the Sepik floodplain in the foothills of Central Range of south-central East Sepik Province.

## Languages

The languages according to Usher (2020) are,

### Sepik Hills

* Saniyo-Hiyewe
* Southwest Sepik Hills: Niksek (Paka, Gabiano), Piame, Hewa
* Bahinemo–Berinomo
* East Sepik Hills (Alamblak etc.)

The languages according to Foley (2018) are:

### Sepik Hill

* Eastern (Alamblak etc.)
* Central (Bahinemo etc.)
* Western: Saniyo-Hiyewe, Paka (Setiali), Gabiano (Niksek), Piame, Bikaru, Umairof, Hewa

Other than disagreement at to what is a language or a dialect (Glottolog, for example, concludes that the 'Bikaru' language is probably spurious, and doesn't list Umairof at all), the only difference from Usher is in combining Sanio with the Southwest Sepik Hills languages as a Western branch.

## Pronouns

Pronouns in Sepik Hill languages:

    pronounSareAlamblakSaniyo-Hiyewe 1sg annaane 2sg nɨnine 3sg.m rɨrərrei 3sg.f sɨrət 1du nondnənoto-(si) 2du finnifɨnfene-si 3du fɨrəfrowe-si 1pl nomnəmnomo 2pl mɨnikə(m)fene 3pl romrəmrowe

## Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from Davies & Comrie (1985), Dye et al. (1968), Foley (2005), Macdonald (1973), and various SIL field notes, as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:

    LanguageAlamblakBahinemoBerinomoBisisKaprimanBikaruSaniyo-Hiyewe head mʌbogath; mɛ̈ƀɨǥatʰthutu tɛpituʔustoɣoʔambu; yowidi 'hɔřisetu; worɛ siyaʔi hair tʰɨ'maʀ̌č; tʌmarts; tʰɨ'maʀ̌šthunʌbato towa; tu sowatuamtuwamnɨmbɨ; yowididisemato towe; tutowe ear yimbɣindang; yɩmbɨǥin'daŋgɨtʰ; yɩmbʌlindangʌmbʌsiyapɛnɛhaxwanbatalwomblajahaři; waʔaʌapahɛ; apaniyɛ eye ɲinga; 'ɲiŋgaʀ̥̥̌; ningawniyaniyanikanikhamɨn 'taʔamɨ; tařanihe; nihɛ nose 'hʰušɨ ɨtʰ; khusɩmʌth; 'kʰučɨmɨtʰ; kusmsɛkʌnɩɛrɛmsikʌľap̶arsingovataʔama; towiɛrɛme; ɛrɛmɛ tooth bɩ'čɛ̈tʰ; biʃə; bɩ'šɛ̈tʰ; bɩsʌmpipibinikambimne; nɨmbipi tongue tor; torkh; 'tʰoʀ̥̌tʰthɔlutortoguʌlthʌdɩsketasi; tɨgalɨsořowɛ; soruwɛ leg wʌlat; 'wɷ'řatʰ; wuralowarowa hɛnawɛliswolalowe; rowɛ louse nəm; 'nɛ̈mɨtʰ; nʌmonʌmutu nɛmninisnʌmɩsaƀʌkʰ; lemanɛmɛ dog yauʀ̥̌ʸ; yawi; yawuyoyaoyauyomwaʔšɨ; waʔšʌ; winayo; you pig 'ᵽɛ̈gɨʀ̥̌; fagʌr; fəɣfahɛp̶oʔolfʌɣrfe bird nongwar; 'nugwaʀ̥̌wabouronuŋgařyerɛpmheka; namʷio; waʔaƀiiřowɛ; iruwɛ egg fɣa; fokam; ᵽo'ǥatwabo muuro wɛkanuŋgwawobomyuɣwarheře akia; mbandunghotɛ blood khukhupam; kɨ'kʰupʰammahələmarɛ haxkukwemkokwemgugubasefisa'i; fisaʔi bone thʌphim; tɨ'pɩʀ̥̌; tɨpihʌbisɛtsɛpisɩbɩkʰamsibevamhɔřipaʔaře; pa'arɛ skin tʰɨ'ǥatʰ; thʌkhaththʌbitepitibithʌgasha'baisi; nbangɨtahɛ breast mingam; miŋatʰ; niŋgammosumokminikamʌnikhaařu'se:; muñamo'u; moʔu tree mᵼč; mim; mᵼš; mɨymimɛmomməmi; siame; mɛ man yima; 'yi'maʀ̥̌'ɩmamuwɛ pɛhɛnɛnimařwiyakntu; wɔbimɛni; mitaru woman 'metɨtʰ7; metumswanimesantoʔanʌstoɣwantaʔagwa; witataunɛ; tawnɛ sun mar; 'mařɨʀ̥̌tɩniyateniyamaľɛľɛlyɛnezañʌ; yakipoɔyuɛ; poweyɛ moon yam; 'yamɨtʰ; yamʌthyamalnopyagusoyagosbabume; mpaʔopmuyamɛ; yamɛ' water bukbam; 'bupʰam; bu-pamhagisaʔsagimsagimeipa; ngusa'i; saʔi fire kaɣ; kʰaǥɨtʰ; khaxthyaitaiyoʔoymoyosʔiya; seayɛhɛ stone š; taximbapaobakobarhana; tumbutapiyɛ road, path yɨ'ǥotʸoǥatʰyoʔatʰořyaʔambu; yəřo; yəto name 'yuƀatʰ; yufa; yufatwufawiyapaovasyapɛ eat fa; ka; 'kʰaɛ̈ʀ̥̌; weyanum; yediyawbʌľia̠sasoliyaʔagʌnʌaiyei; asiyʌ one rɛphar; rpa; řɨpʰatʰdʌbathatɛpatabakdɩbarkɨtʌkʰ; yoko habiahɛta'i; taʔi two hutsif; xočiᵽ; 'xošɩᵽhusihowiswɩtɩpkothiƀɩtik; yoko labohɛsi
