Kanite
Trans-New Guinea
Kanite is a Trans-New Guinea Kainantu-branch language of the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, spoken by ~6,000 people in the Kainantu District around Henganofi. The Kainantu-Goroka family (Kamano, Yagaria, Gadsup, Auyana, Kanite, Tairora — ~30+ languages, ~200K total speakers) is one of the major Trans-New Guinea subgroups of the Eastern Highlands. Linguistically, Kanite shares classical Eastern Highlands features: SOV constituent order, postpositions, complex verb morphology with subject-tense-aspect agreement, switch-reference clause-chaining, and a small phoneme inventory typical of Kainantu languages. McCarthy's 1965 SIL phonology and Bible translation work since the 1960s have produced literacy materials and the New Testament. Despite the small population, Kanite shows relative vitality in remote highland villages.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Kanite
Water
nai
/nai/
Fire
lo
/lo/
Sun
suka
/suka/
Moon
ika
/ika/
Mother
nene
/nene/
Father
nafa
/nafa/
Eat
ne
/ne/
Drink
ne
/ne/
Love
avesi
/avesi/
Heart
agu
/aɡu/
Tree
yafa
/jafa/
House
no
/no/
Dog
ovava
/ovava/
Cat
pusi
/pusi/
Hand
azana
/azana/
Eye
avu
/avu/
Hello
naipa
/naipa/
Thank you
susu
/susu/
One
magoke
/maɡoke/
Good
knaga
/knaɡa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Trans-New Guinea languages
| Meaning | Kanite | Yagaria | Hiri Motu | San Blas Kuna | Mussau-Emira | Motu | Enga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nai /nai/ | nofa /nofa/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | di /di/ | eai /eai/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | endaki /endaki/ |
| Fire | lo /lo/ | yo /jo/ | lahi /lahi/ | so /so/ | kapok /kapok/ | lahi /lahi/ | ita /ita/ |
| Sun | suka /suka/ | kena /kena/ | dina /dina/ | olo /olo/ | ariu /aɾiu/ | dina /dina/ | niko /niko/ |
| Moon | ika /ika/ | ulu /ulu/ | hua /hua/ | nii /niː/ | malam /malam/ | hua /hua/ | kana /kana/ |
| Mother | nene /nene/ | nene /nene/ | sina /sina/ | nan /nan/ | nia /nia/ | sinana /sinana/ | ainya /aiɲa/ |
| Father | nafa /nafa/ | papa /papa/ | tama /tama/ | baba /baba/ | tama /tama/ | tamana /tamana/ | taata /taːta/ |
| Eat | ne /ne/ | na /na/ | ania /ania/ | gunne /ɡune/ | anu /anu/ | aniani /aniani/ | nepenge /nepeŋe/ |
| Drink | ne /ne/ | nava /nava/ | inua /inua/ | gobe /ɡobe/ | inum /inum/ | inuinu /inuinu/ | na pee /na peː/ |
| Love | avesi /avesi/ | amige /amiɡe/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | sabbi /sabːi/ | talimi /talimi/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | mende /mende/ |
| Heart | agu /aɡu/ | nemo /nemo/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | kurgin /kuɾɡin/ | lalota /lalota/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | maita /maita/ |
| Tree | yafa /jafa/ | yake /jake/ | au /au/ | sappi /sapːi/ | rikei /ɾikei/ | au /au/ | ita /ita/ |
| House | no /no/ | nono /nono/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | nega /neɡa/ | ulemi /ulemi/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | anda /anda/ |
| Dog | ovava /ovava/ | yapa /japa/ | sisia /sisia/ | achu /atʃu/ | kovur /kovuɾ/ | sisia /sisia/ | yana /jana/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | miji /midʒi/ | busi /busi/ | gosi /ɡosi/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Hand | azana /azana/ | bayo /bajo/ | imana /imana/ | arigan /aɾiɡan/ | lima /lima/ | imana /imana/ | kingi /kiŋɡi/ |
| Eye | avu /avu/ | gago /ɡaɡo/ | matana /matana/ | ibya /ibja/ | mata /mata/ | matana /matana/ | lenge /leŋɡe/ |
| Hello | naipa /naipa/ | amige /amiɡe/ | namona /namona/ | nuedi /nweðiː/ | emua /emua/ | namo gida /namo ɡida/ | baa wa /baː wa/ |
| Thank you | susu /susu/ | tega /teɡa/ | tanikiu /tanikiu/ | nuedi malo /nweðiː malo/ | poasi /poasi/ | oi namo /oi namo/ | yaku /jaku/ |
| One | magoke /maɡoke/ | kahene /kahene/ | ta /ta/ | kuenki /kweŋki/ | esa /esa/ | ta /ta/ | mendeai /mendeai/ |
| Good | knaga /knaɡa/ | kavi /kavi/ | namo /namo/ | nuegan /nweɡan/ | rop /ɾop/ | namo /namo/ | epe /epe/ |
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