Chimbu–Wahgi
Central East New Guinea Highlands Simbu – Western Highlands
Geographic distribution	Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classification	Northeast New Guinea and/or Trans–New Guinea? Chimbu–Wahgi
Subdivisions	Chimbu Hagen Jimi Wahgi
Glottolog	cent2120
Map: The Chimbu–Wahgi languages of New Guinea   Chimbu–Wahgi languages   Trans–New Guinea languages   Other Papuan languages   Austronesian languages   Uninhabited

The Chimbu–Wahgi languages are a language family sometimes included in the Trans–New Guinea proposal.

Languages

There is little doubt that the Chimbu–Wahgi family is valid. The languages are:^[1]

• Chimbu–Wahgi family
  • Chimbu (Simbu) branch

    Kuman (Chimbu), Chuave, Nomane, Golin–Dom, Salt-Yui, Sinasina

  • Western Highlands
    • Jimi River

      Maring, Narak–Kandawo

    • Wahgi Valley

      Nii, Wahgi, North Wahgi (= Yu We?)

    • Mount Hagen
      • Melpa (Medlpa)
      • Kaugel River: Imbo Ungu, Umbu-Ungu, Mbo-Ung (Bo-Ung)

Phonology

Several of the Chimbu–Wahgi languages have uncommon lateral consonants: see Nii, Wahgi, and Kuman for examples.

Chimbu–Wahgi languages have contrastive tone.^[2]

Pronouns

The singular pronouns are:

	sg
1	*ná
2	*nim
3	*[y]é

Dual *-l and plural *-n reflect Trans–New Guinea forms.

Evolution

Middle Wahgi reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma:^[2]

• ama ‘mother’ < *am(a,i)
• amu ‘breast’ < *amu
• numan ‘louse’ < *niman
• numan ‘thought, mind, will’ < *n(o,u)
• man, muŋ ‘fruit, nut, lump’
• muŋgum ‘kidney’ < *maŋgV ‘round object’
• mundmuŋ ‘heart’ < *mundun-maŋgV
• mokum, mokem ‘knuckle, joint’ < *mo(k,ŋg)Vm ‘joint’
• mundun mo- ‘be pot bellied’ < *mundun ‘internal organs, belly’
• ŋaŋ ‘small male child’ < *ŋaŋ[a] ‘baby’
• apa- ‘maternal uncle’ < *apa ‘father’
• embe(m) ‘name’ < *imbi ‘name’
• muk ‘blue’ < *muk
• tuk- ‘chop’ < *tVk- ‘cut, cut off’
• no- ‘eat’ < *na-
• mek si- ‘to vomit’
• mek ‘vomitus’ < *makV[C] + t(e,i)- ‘to vomit’

References

Further reading

External links

• Kaipuleohone archive of Chimbu-Wahgi language recordings