Central and South New Guinea languages

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Central and South New Guinea
Geographic distribution:	New Guinea
Genetic classification:	Trans–New Guinea  Central and South New Guinea
Subdivisions:	Asmat-Kamoro Awyu-Dumut Mombum Ok

The Central and South New Guinea languages are a proposed family of the Trans–New Guinea languages (TNG). They were part of the original TNG proposal, but have been reduced in scope by half (nine families to four) in the classification of Malcolm Ross. According to Ross, it is not clear if the pronoun similarities between the four remaining branches of Central and South New Guinea are retentions for proto-TNG forms or shared innovations defining a single branch of TNG. Voorhoeve argues independently for an Awyu-Ok relationship, and Foley echoes that Asmat may be closest to Awyu and Ok of the TNG languages. Regardless, the four individual branches of reduced Central and South New Guinea are themselves clearly valid families.

• Central and South New Guinea (reduced)
  • Asmat-Kamoro family (11) [a recent expansion along the south coast]
  • Awyu-Dumut family (16)
  • Mombum family (2)
  • Ok family (20)

[edit] External links

• The nine C. & S. New Guinea families in Wurm's proposal
• Online Bibliography of Asmat Ethnographic Resources

[edit] References

• Ross, Malcolm (2005). "Pronouns as a preliminary diagnostic for grouping Papuan languages". in Andrew Pawley, Robert Attenborough, Robin Hide, Jack Golson, eds.. Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. pp. 15-66. ISBN 0858835622. OCLC 67292782.