Faiwol
Trans-New Guinea
Faiwol is a Trans-New Guinea Ok-family language of the Star Mountains region of Western Province, Papua New Guinea. The Ok family (Telefol, Mian, Bimin, Tifal, Faiwol — ~7 languages, ~30K total speakers) is one of the major Trans-New Guinea subgroups, occupying the rugged Star Mountains and adjacent areas. Faiwol speakers are concentrated around Olsobip in the Mountain region. Linguistically, Faiwol shares classical Ok-family features with Telefol: SOV constituent order, complex verb morphology with hierarchical agreement, simple noun morphology, and a tonal system. SIL Bible translation work since the 1970s produced the New Testament (1998) and the Faiwol-English dictionary.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Faiwol
Water
ok
/ok/
Fire
baal
/baːl/
Sun
kibel
/kibel/
Moon
ulup
/ulup/
Star
milum
/milum/
Mother
anim
/anim/
Father
atim
/atim/
I
na
/na/
You
kaba
/kaba/
Name
win
/win/
Eye
nin
/nin/
Hand
miim
/miːm/
Heart
kayem
/kajem/
Love
kunum
/kunum/
Tree
biin
/biːn/
House
am
/am/
Dog
kuyak
/kujak/
Cat
kit
/kit/
Eat
nemin
/nemin/
Drink
ok ne
/ok ne/
One
kowin
/kowin/
Two
alep
/alɛp/
Hello
ben kaba
/ben kaba/
Thank you
ngam ngam
/ŋam ŋam/
Good
kanim
/kanim/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Trans-New Guinea languages
| Meaning | Faiwol | Mian | Nalca | Adnyamathanha | Yaeyama | Tangkhul Naga | Waray |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ok /ok/ | ot /ot/ | mi /mi/ | awi /awi/ | 水 /midzɨ/ | ze /ze/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ |
| Fire | baal /baːl/ | aon /aon/ | lakil /lakil/ | warlu /waɻlu/ | 火 /pɨː/ | mei /mei/ | kalayo /kalajɔ/ |
| Sun | kibel /kibel/ | kep /kep/ | nyem /ɲem/ | yidnu /jidnu/ | てぃだ /tida/ | nyithui /ɲitʰui/ | adlaw /ʔadlaw/ |
| Moon | ulup /ulup/ | ham /ham/ | lakum /lakum/ | vuyu /vuju/ | 月 /tsɨkɨ/ | lai /lai/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Star | milum /milum/ | fut /fut/ | gura' /guraʔ/ | vurdli /ˈvuɖli/ | ぷし /puɕi/ | sira /siraː/ | bitoon /bituʔon/ |
| Mother | anim /anim/ | na /na/ | ne /ne/ | nyangka /ɲaŋka/ | あっぱ /appa/ | ina /ina/ | nanay /nanaj/ |
| Father | atim /atim/ | ki /ki/ | ke /ke/ | arndu /aɳɖu/ | あっちゃ /attʃa/ | apa /apa/ | tatay /tataj/ |
| I | na /na/ | naka /naka/ | na /na/ | ngai /ŋai/ | ばぬ /banu/ | i /i/ | ako /ʔako/ |
| You | kaba /kaba/ | keba /keba/ | an /an/ | nhina /n̪ina/ | わー /waː/ | na /na/ | ikaw /ʔikaw/ |
| Name | win /win/ | weng /weŋ/ | si /si/ | mityi /mici/ | なー /naː/ | amin /amin/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ |
| Eye | nin /nin/ | tan /tan/ | nye /ɲe/ | mina /mina/ | 目 /miː/ | mi /mi/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | miim /miːm/ | kun /kun/ | ku /ku/ | mara /maɻa/ | 手 /tiː/ | phei /pʰei/ | kamot /kamɔt/ |
| Heart | kayem /kajem/ | tem /tem/ | ngal /ŋal/ | kurda /kuɖa/ | 肝 /kɨmu/ | mokyaba /mokjaba/ | kasingkasing /kasiŋkasiŋ/ |
| Love | kunum /kunum/ | na /na/ | ngam /ŋam/ | mukunha /mukun̪a/ | 情き /nasaki/ | cha /tʃa/ | gugma /ɡuɡma/ |
| Tree | biin /biːn/ | yel /jel/ | ye /je/ | urtu /uʈu/ | 木 /kiː/ | leiyik /leijik/ | kahoy /kahɔj/ |
| House | am /am/ | am /am/ | kim /kim/ | vakali /vakali/ | 家 /jaː/ | shim /ʃim/ | balay /balaj/ |
| Dog | kuyak /kujak/ | kowok /kowok/ | ngal /ŋal/ | vurlpu /vuɻlpu/ | 犬 /iɴ/ | ui /ui/ | ayam /ˈʔajam/ |
| Cat | kit /kit/ | pus /pus/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | vunmara /vunmaɻa/ | 猫 /maja/ | mibu /mibu/ | misay /misaj/ |
| Eat | nemin /nemin/ | naka /naka/ | ne /ne/ | ngalkanha /ŋalkan̪a/ | 食い /ɸai/ | ngui /ŋui/ | kaon /kaʔon/ |
| Drink | ok ne /ok ne/ | an /an/ | mi ne /mi ne/ | ulpanha /ulpan̪a/ | 飲み /numi/ | rai /rai/ | inom /ʔinɔm/ |
| One | kowin /kowin/ | alok /alok/ | mom /mom/ | mukuna /mukuna/ | 一つ /pi̥tiːdzɨ/ | kha /kʰa/ | usa /ʔusa/ |
| Two | alep /alɛp/ | ata /ata/ | phein /pʰein/ | arlpili /aɭpili/ | ふたーち /ɸutaːtɕi/ | khani /kʰani/ | duha /duha/ |
| Hello | ben kaba /ben kaba/ | aben /aben/ | silok /silok/ | — /—/ | くよーなーら /kujoːnaːɾa/ | hayau /hajau/ | kumusta /kumusta/ |
| Thank you | ngam ngam /ŋam ŋam/ | hok /hok/ | amole /amole/ | mukunha /mukun̪a/ | みーふぁいゆー /miːɸaijuː/ | ase /ase/ | salamat /salamat/ |
| Good | kanim /kanim/ | kep /kep/ | ko /ko/ | ngarrkanha /ŋaɻkan̪a/ | カイシャーン /kaiʃaːɴ/ | kahei /kahei/ | maupay /maʔupaj/ |
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