Tor-Kwerba languages

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The Tor-Kwerba languages are an independent family of Papuan languages proposed in 2005 by Malcolm Ross. All the languages had been part of Stephen Würm's Trans-New Guinea proposal, but he did not recognize them as a unit.

Contents

[edit] Classification

  • Orya-Tor
    • Orya (Uria) isolate
    • Tor family: Berike, Bonerif, Dabe, Mander, Itik, Keder, Kwesten, Maremgi, Wares
  • Mawes-Kwerba
    • Mawes isolate
    • Kwerba family: Airoran, Bagusa, Kwerba (Sasawa), Trimuris, Kauwera, Kwerba Mamberamo

In earlier classifications the Sause language isolate has been included with these languages, but its classification is uncertain, and was not addressed by Ross.

[edit] Pronouns

The pronouns Ross reconstructs for proto-Orya-Tor are,

I *ai exclusive we  ?
inclusive we *ne
thou *emei you *em
s/he *je they  ?

[edit] See also

[edit] Reference

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