Markham languages

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Markham Languages
Spoken in:	Northern New Guinea
Genetic classification:	Austronesian  Malayo-Polynesian   Central Eastern Malayo-Polynesian    Eastern Malayo-Polynesian     Oceanic      Western Oceanic       North New Guinea        Huon Gulf         Markham

The family of Markham languages is a subgroup of the Huon Gulf languages. It consists of 13 languages spoken in the Ramu Valley, Markham Valley and associated valley systems in the lowlands of the Madang and Morobe Provinces of Papua New Guinea^[1].

[edit] Shared features

The most definitive work on the Markham languages is The Markham Languages of Papua New Guinea by Susanne Holzknecht, which established a common descent from Proto Huon Gulf. It did so on the basis of shared phonological, morphosyntactic and lexicosemantic innovations.

Although Markham is an Austronesian language, it has had much contact with neighbouring Papuan languages.

[edit] Components

• Lower Markham languages
  • Busu languages
  • Labu
  • Wampar
• Upper Markham languages
  • Adzera
  • Upper Markham Mountain languages
• Watut languages
  • Middle Watut
  • North Watut
  • South Watut

[edit] Works cited

↑ Susanne Holzknecht (1989). The Markham Languages of Papua New Guinea. A.N.U. Press. ISBN 0-85883-394-8.