The Dagan or Meneao Range languages are a small family of Trans–New Guinea languages spoken in the Meneao Range of the "Bird's Tail" (southeastern peninsula) of New Guinea, the easternmost Papuan languages on the mainland. They are the most divergent of the several small families within the Southeast Papuan branch of TransNew Guinea.

Languages

The languages are:

• Onjob

Southwest

• Daga

• Maiwa language, Mapena

East

• Southeast: Ginuman, Kanasi (Sona)

• Northeast: Dima (Jimajima), Umanakaina (Gwedena), and the nearly extinct Turaka

Although clearly related, they are not particularly close. Umanakaina and Ginuman, for example, are only 23% lexically similar.

Pronouns

Usher (2020) reconstructs the pronouns as:

1. {|

! !!sg!!pl |- !1 |*n[e/a]||*nu |- !2 |*g[e/a]||*j[e/a] |- !3 |*me||*mV |}

Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from SIL field notes (1965, 1967, 1973), as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.

The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. giana, ginewa, ginawa for “nose”) or not (e.g. iyawa, neigin, ɛbu for “road”).

1. {| class="wikitable sortable"

! gloss !! Dima !! Daga !! Maiwa |- ! head | una | iwa || kwi'.unwa; kuiyunwa |- ! hair | deba | igumewa || gu'mawa; huiawa |- ! ear | taii(na) | darinewa || nau'nawa; naunáwa |- ! eye | yamana | yamewa || yaŋganwa; yaŋ'ganwa |- ! nose | giana | ginewa || ginawa; gi'nunwa |- ! tooth | wari(na) | nodonewa || do'nawa; donáwa |- ! tongue | pepa(na) | mɛriwa || phed'nawa; pedt nawa |- ! leg | wana | || ai'raniwa; beawa |- ! louse | igu | kuisin || kwhi'sin; nagam; usiwa |- ! dog | kwegawa | eao || kwhe'.au; kueyao |- ! pig | boro | tuan || 'bui |- ! bird | midiwari | nɛnip || nenip; ve'khæthu |- ! egg | dodopi | bagua || ba'giwa; gat toda; kokorek bagiwa |- ! blood | tawayana | dɛnip || di |- ! bone | (e)regura | kaemewa || mařɛt'nawa |- ! skin | etona | ɛpiwa || koápiwa; pha'phunwa |- ! breast | ama | amewa || am |- ! tree | na | oma || i; ioma |- ! man | apana | apan || apan; a'phan |- ! woman | wawina | oaen || ve'sin; wɛsin |- ! sun | gabudara | oam || kum; khum |- ! moon | dede | siragam || dut; duth |- ! water | oa | kaum || ioi; yoi |- ! fire | iarema | oma || íam; yaŋ'gawa |- ! stone | akima | agim || agim; 'agim |- ! road, path | iyawa | neigin || ɛbu; 'ɛbu |- ! name | ewani | yaoa || i'vi wa |- ! eat | | naiwan || mɛ 'nane; naiwi |- ! one | daiida | daiton || desi'řoe; désirom |- ! two | uri | dɛrɛ || dúam; duːʌm |}

Evolution

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

Daga language:

• ama 'breast' < *amu

• meri (nawa) 'tongue' < *me(l,n)e

• ira 'tree' < *inda

Kanasi language:

• asi 'ear' < *kand(e,i)k(V]

• etepa 'bark' < *(ŋg,k)a(nd,t)apu 'skin'

• obosa 'wind' < *kumbutu

• oman 'stone' < *ka(m,mb)u[CV]

• nene 'bird' < *n(e)i

References

1. Notes

   Sources