Asmat languages
Trans–New Guinea language cluster
title: "Asmat languages" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["asmat-kamoro-languages", "languages-of-western-new-guinea"] description: "Trans–New Guinea language cluster" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asmat_languages" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Trans–New Guinea language cluster ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox language family"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Asmat |
| region | Asmat Regency and Mappi Regency, South Papua |
| ethnicity | Asmat, Citak |
| familycolor | Papuan |
| fam1 | Trans–New Guinea |
| fam2 | Asmat–Kamoro |
| child1 | Casuarina Coast |
| child2 | Citak |
| child3 | North Asmat |
| child4 | Central Asmat |
| glotto | asma1257 |
| glottorefname | Asmat |
| :: |
| name = Asmat | region = Asmat Regency and Mappi Regency, South Papua | ethnicity = Asmat, Citak | familycolor = Papuan | fam1 = Trans–New Guinea | fam2 = Asmat–Kamoro | child1 = Casuarina Coast | child2 = Citak | child3 = North Asmat | child4 = Central Asmat | glotto = asma1257 | glottorefname = Asmat
Asmat is a Papuan language cluster of South Papua.
Languages
The principal varieties, distinct enough to be considered separate languages, are:
- Asmat
- Kamrau Bay (Sabakor/Buruwai):
- Casuarina Coast (Kaweinag), the most divergent
- North and Central Asmat
- Citak (Kaünak)
- North Asmat
- Central Asmat (dialects: Keenok, Sokoni, Keenakap, Kawenak)
Ethnically, speakers are either Asmat or Citak.
Evolution
Below are some reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea proposed by Pawley (2012):
::data[format=table]
| proto-Trans-New Guinea | Asmat (Flamingo Bay) |
|---|---|
| *maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’ | me |
| *(m,mb)elak ‘light, lightning’ | mer |
| *niman ‘louse’ | (Kamoro namo) |
| *na- ‘eat’ | na- |
| *ni, *nu ‘’ | na ‘.’, na(r) ‘.’ |
| *mun(a,i,u)ka ‘egg’ | manaka |
| *niman ‘louse’ | (cf. Kamoro namo) |
| *kasin ‘mosquito’ | isi |
| *mbena ‘arm’ | man [ban] |
| *mb(i,u)t(i,u)C ‘fingernail’ | fit |
| *imbi ‘name’ | yipi |
| *si(mb,p)at[V] ‘saliva’ | (me)sep |
| *(mb,p)ututu- ‘to fly’ | (?) pimedial |
| *kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’ | kuwus |
| *inda ‘fire’ | (Central Coast Asmat isi) |
| *tututu[ku] ‘straight’ | toror |
| *k(i,u)tuma ‘night, morning’ | iram |
| *tututu[ku] ‘straight’ | toror |
| *ti, *titi ‘tooth’ | ji |
| *ata ‘excrement’ | asa |
| *(ŋg,k)atata ‘dry’ | soso |
| *kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’ | kuwus |
| *kasin ‘mosquito’ | (Citak Asmat isi) |
| *inda ‘fire’ | (Central Coast Asmat isi) |
| *ke(nj,s)a ‘blood’ | es |
| *maŋgV ‘compact round object’ | moko-per ‘navel’ |
| *mun(a,i,u)ka ‘egg’ | manaka |
| *ke(nj,s)a ‘blood’ | es |
| *kasin ‘mosquito’ | (Central Asmat isi) |
| *k(i,u)tuma ‘night, morning’ | yiram |
| *kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’ | kuwus |
| *(m,mb)elak ‘light, lightning’ | (Flamingo Bay Asmat mer ‘lightning’) |
| *ya ‘’ | a |
| :: |
Verbs
In Flamingo Bay Asmat, light verbs are combined with adjuncts to form predicative expressions.
- e- ‘do’
- atow e- /play do/ ‘play’
- caj e- /copulate do/ ‘copulate’
- yan e- /ear do/ ‘listen’
- yi- ‘say’
- po yi- /paddle say/ ‘paddle’
- yan yi- /ear say/ ‘hear’
- mesa yi- /saliva say/ ‘spit’
- af- ‘hit’
- yaki af- /sneeze hit/ ‘sneeze’
- namir af- /death hit/ ‘die’
- omop af- /blow hit/ ‘beat’
References
References
- (2020). "The Asmat-Muli Languages of Southwestern New Guinea". Journal of the Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea.
- [https://newguineaworld.linguistik.uzh.ch/families/trans-new-guinea/asmat-muli-strait/asmat-kamrau-bay/kamrau-bay New Guinea World, Kamrau Bay]
- Pawley, Andrew. (2012). "How reconstructable is proto Trans New Guinea? Problems, progress, prospects". Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea.
- Foley, William A.. (2018). "The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide". De Gruyter Mouton.
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