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
31 core words in Kanite
Water
nai
/nai/
Fire
lo
/lo/
Sun
suka
/suka/
Moon
ika
/ika/
Star
ka'nefi
/kaʔnefi/
Mother
nene
/nene/
Father
nafa
/nafa/
I
nagaya
/naɡaja/
You
kagaya
/kaɡaja/
Name
agi
/aɡi/
Eye
avu
/avu/
Hand
azana
/azana/
Heart
agu
/aɡu/
Love
avesi
/avesi/
Tree
yafa
/jafa/
House
no
/no/
Dog
ovava
/ovava/
Cat
pusi
/pusi/
Eat
ne
/ne/
Drink
ne
/ne/
One
magoke
/maɡoke/
Two
tole
/tole/
Hello
naipa
/naipa/
Thank you
susu
/susu/
Good
knaga
/knaɡa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Trans-New Guinea languages
| Meaning | Kanite | Yagaria | Enga | Hiri Motu | Mussau-Emira | Sakizaya | San Blas Kuna |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nai /nai/ | nofa /nofa/ | endaki /endaki/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | eai /eai/ | nanum /nanum/ | di /di/ |
| Fire | lo /lo/ | yo /jo/ | ita /ita/ | lahi /lahi/ | kuraa /kuˈraː/ | lamal /lamal/ | so /so/ |
| Sun | suka /suka/ | kena /kena/ | niko /niko/ | dina /dina/ | ariu /aɾiu/ | cidal /tʃidal/ | olo /olo/ |
| Moon | ika /ika/ | ulu /ulu/ | kana /kana/ | hua /hua/ | malam /malam/ | bulad /bulad/ | nii /niː/ |
| Star | ka'nefi /kaʔnefi/ | gale /ɡale/ | kalyai /kaljai/ | hisiu /hisiu/ | katoto /katoto/ | bo'is /boʔis/ | bisir /pisiɾ/ |
| Mother | nene /nene/ | nene /nene/ | ainya /aiɲa/ | sina /sina/ | nia /nia/ | ina /ina/ | nan /nan/ |
| Father | nafa /nafa/ | papa /papa/ | taata /taːta/ | tama /tama/ | tama /tama/ | ama /ama/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | nagaya /naɡaja/ | dgai /dɡai/ | namba /namba/ | lau /lau/ | agi /aɡi/ | zaku /ʐaku/ | an /an/ |
| You | kagaya /kaɡaja/ | gai /ɡai/ | emba /emba/ | oi /oi/ | io /io/ | kisu /kisu/ | be /pe/ |
| Name | agi /aɡi/ | yaoʼ /jaoʔ/ | ingi /iŋi/ | ladana /laˈdana/ | arari /arari/ | ngangan /ŋaŋan/ | nug /nuk/ |
| Eye | avu /avu/ | gago /ɡaɡo/ | lenge /leŋɡe/ | matana /matana/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | ibya /ibja/ |
| Hand | azana /azana/ | bayo /bajo/ | kingi /kiŋɡi/ | ima /ima/ | lima /lima/ | kamay /kamai/ | arigan /aɾiɡan/ |
| Heart | agu /aɡu/ | nemo /nemo/ | maita /maita/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | lalota /lalota/ | gawang /ɡawaŋ/ | kurgin /kuɾɡin/ |
| Love | avesi /avesi/ | amige /amiɡe/ | mende /mende/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | talimi /talimi/ | maolah /maolah/ | sabbi /sabːi/ |
| Tree | yafa /jafa/ | yake /jake/ | ita /ita/ | au /au/ | rikei /ɾikei/ | kilang /kilaŋ/ | sappi /sapːi/ |
| House | no /no/ | nono /nono/ | anda /anda/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | ulemi /ulemi/ | luma /luma/ | nega /neɡa/ |
| Dog | ovava /ovava/ | yapa /japa/ | yana /jana/ | sisia /sisia/ | kovur /kovuɾ/ | waco /watʃo/ | achu /atʃu/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | busi /busi/ | posi /posi/ | miji /midʒi/ |
| Eat | ne /ne/ | na /na/ | nepenge /nepeŋe/ | ania /ania/ | anu /anu/ | hekal /hekal/ | gunne /ɡune/ |
| Drink | ne /ne/ | nava /nava/ | na pee /na peː/ | inua /inua/ | inum /inum/ | mihecak /mihetʃak/ | gobe /ɡobe/ |
| One | magoke /maɡoke/ | kahene /kahene/ | mendeai /mendeai/ | ta /ta/ | esa /esa/ | cacay /tʃatʃai/ | kuenki /kweŋki/ |
| Two | tole /tole/ | lole /lole/ | lapo /lapo/ | rua /rua/ | lua /lua/ | tusa /tusa/ | bo /po/ |
| Hello | naipa /naipa/ | amige /amiɡe/ | baa wa /baː wa/ | namona /namona/ | emua /emua/ | marayas /maɾajas/ | nuedi /nweðiː/ |
| Thank you | susu /susu/ | tega /teɡa/ | yaku /jaku/ | tanikiu /tanikiu/ | poasi /poasi/ | lalumahan /lalumahan/ | nuedi malo /nweðiː malo/ |
| Good | knaga /knaɡa/ | kavi /kavi/ | epe /epe/ | namo /namo/ | rop /ɾop/ | kapah /kapah/ | nuegan /nweɡan/ |
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