Misplaced Pages

Isirawa language

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Saberi language) Kwerbic language spoken in Indonesia
Isirawa
Saberi
Native toIndonesia
RegionPapua
Native speakers1,800 (2000)
Language familyFoja Range
Language codes
ISO 639-3srl
Glottologisir1237
ELPIsirawa

Isirawa is a Papuan language spoken by about two thousand people on the north coast of Papua province, Indonesia. It's a local trade language, and use is vigorous. Stephen Wurm (1975) linked it to the Kwerba languages within the Trans–New Guinea family, and it does share about 20% of its vocabulary with neighboring Kwerba languages. However, based on its pronouns, Malcolm Ross (2005) felt he could not substantiate such a link, and left it as a language isolate. The pronouns are not, however, dissimilar from those of Orya–Tor, which Ross links to Kwerba, and Donahue (2002) accept it as a Greater Kwerba language.

Locations

In Sarmi Regency, Isirawa is spoken in Amsira, Arabais, Arsania, Kamenawari, Mararena, Martewar, Nisero, Nuerawar, Perkami, Siaratesa, Waim, Wari, and Webro villages.

Grammar

In Isirawa, the feminine gender is associated with big objects, and masculine with small objects; the opposite association is found in Tayap and the Sepik languages, which classify large objects as masculine rather than feminine.

Pronouns

The Isirawa pronouns are,

I a-, e
we nen-, ne
you o-, mə
all third person e-, maə, ce, pe

Ross's reconstructed Orya–Tor pronouns are *ai 'I', *ne 'we' (inclusive), *emei 'thou', *em 'you'.

Isirawa pronoun paradigm as given in Foley (2018):

pronoun nominative accusative possessive
1s e afo
2s ofo of
3s efo ef
1d ne nenfo nenef
2d ofnafo ofnaf
3d efnafo efnaf
1p ne nenfɪvo nenfɪ(v)
2p ofɪvo ofɪ(v)
3p efɪvo efɪ(v)

References

  1. Isirawa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2019). "Indonesia languages". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (22nd ed.). Dallas: SIL International.
  3. Foley, William A. (2018). "The Languages of the Sepik-Ramu Basin and Environs". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 197–432. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
  4. Foley, William A. (2018). "The languages of Northwest New Guinea". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 433–568. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.
  • Clouse, Duane, Mark Donohue and Felix Ma. 2002. "Survey report of the north coast of Irian Jaya."
Primary language families
Africa
Isolates
Eurasia
(Europe
and Asia)
Isolates
New Guinea
and the Pacific
Isolates
Australia
Isolates
North
America
Isolates
Mesoamerica
Isolates
South
America
Isolates
(extant in 2000)
Sign
languages
Isolates
See also
  • Families with question marks (?) are disputed or controversial.
  • Families in italics have no living members.
  • Families with more than 30 languages are in bold.
Languages of Indonesia
Western Malayo-Polynesian languages
Official language
Malayo-Sumbawan
Javanesic
Celebic
Lampungic
Northwest Sumatra–
Barrier Islands
South Sulawesi
Barito
Kayan–Murik
Land Dayak
North Bornean
Philippine languages
Central Philippine
Gorontalo-Mongondow
Minahasan
Sangiric
Central–Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages
Aru
Central Maluku
Flores–Lembata
Halmahera-
Cenderawasih
Kei-Tanimbar
MicronesianMapia
Selaru
Sumba–Flores
Timor–Babar
Western Oceanic
Papuan languages
North Halmahera
Timor–Alor–Pantar
Asmat–Mombum
West Bird's Head
South Bird's Head
East Bird's Head
West Bomberai
Dani
Paniai Lakes
Digul River
Foja Range
Lakes Plain
East Cenderawasih Bay
Yawa
Demta–Sentani
Ok
Momuna–Mek
Skou
South Pauwasi
East Pauwasi
West Pauwasi
Kaure–Kosare
Marind–Yaqai
Bulaka River
Kayagar
Border
Senagi
Mairasi
Kolopom
Yam
Lower Mamberamo
Others
Other languages
Creoles and Pidgins
Malay-based creoles
Other creoles and pidgins
Immigrant languages
Chinese
European
Indian
Middle Eastern
Others
Sign languages
† indicate extinct languages
Tor–Kwerba languages (Foja Range)
Orya–Tor
Tor River
Other
Kwerbic
Kwerba
Kapauri–Sause
Other
Nimboran
otherMawes


This Papuan languages–related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: