Komba
Trans-New Guinea (Finisterre-Huon, Western Huon, Kabwum)
A Western Huon (Finisterre-Huon, Trans-New Guinea) language of the Kabwum area in northern Morobe Province, closely related to Selepet and Timbe. Like its Kabwum sisters, Komba has SOV order with rich verb-final morphology; transitive verbs select one of two object-prefix classes inherited from the object verbs "give" (niɣ-) and "hit" (noɣ-), a Kabwum-family innovation. Documented in detail by SIL's Neville & Gwyneth Southwell from the 1960s onward.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Komba
Water
to
/to/
Fire
kʌrʌp
/kʌɾʌp/
Sun
mirâsiŋ
/miɾɐsiŋ/
Moon
kain
/kain/
Star
kumbu
/kumbu/
Mother
mam
/mam/
Father
iwâ
/iwɐ/
I
na
/na/
You
ga
/ɡa/
Name
imbi
/imbi/
Eye
si
/si/
Hand
bit
/bit/
Heart
kabiam
/kabiam/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
nak
/nak/
House
—
/—/
Dog
wau
/wau/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
ni-
/ni/
Drink
—
/—/
One
kânok
/kɐnok/
Two
yaet
/jaʔet/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
âlipŋâ
/ɐlipŋɐ/
Sources
- Southwell, Neville (1979) Komba Grammar Sketch. SIL.
- Southwell, N. & G. (1969) Komba Dictionary (draft). SIL.
- McElhanon, K. A. (1967) Preliminary observations on Huon Peninsula languages.
- Suter, Edgar (2012) Comparative Morphology of the Huon Peninsula Languages. PhD diss., U Cologne.
- TransNewGuinea.org: Komba lexicon
- Glottolog: Komba
Words compared
Compared with related Trans-New Guinea (Finisterre-Huon, Western Huon, Kabwum) languages
| Meaning | Komba | Neko | Lardil | Yangkaal | Proto-Koreanic | Proto-Sino-Tibetan | Proto-Uralic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | to /to/ | wai /wai/ | kantha /kanθa/ | ngogo /ŋoɡo/ | *mɨr /mɨr/ | — /—/ | *wete /wete/ |
| Fire | kʌrʌp /kʌɾʌp/ | titɛ /titɛ/ | jalul /dʒalul/ | ngida /ŋida/ | *pɨr /pɨr/ | *mey /mey/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | mirâsiŋ /miɾɐsiŋ/ | aatʌ /aːtʌ/ | thurara /θuɾaɾa/ | wargu /waɾɡu/ | *hʌy /hʌy/ | *nəy /nəy/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | kain /kain/ | — /—/ | kirdikir /kiɖikir/ | waldar /waldaɾ/ | *tʌr /tʌr/ | *s-la /s-la/ | — /—/ |
| Star | kumbu /kumbu/ | kumba /kumba/ | kambin /kambin/ | thurara /t̪uɾaɾa/ | *pyər /pyər/ | *s-kar /s-kar/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | mam /mam/ | — /—/ | ngama /ŋama/ | ngama /ŋama/ | *emi /emi/ | *ma /ma/ | — /—/ |
| Father | iwâ /iwɐ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | kanda /kanda/ | *api /api/ | *pa /pa/ | — /—/ |
| I | na /na/ | na /na/ | ngada /ŋada/ | ngada /ŋada/ | *na /na/ | *ŋa /ŋa/ | *mun /mun/ |
| You | ga /ɡa/ | ga /ɡa/ | nyingki /ɲiŋki/ | nyingka /ɲiŋka/ | *ne /ne/ | *naŋ /naŋ/ | *tun /tun/ |
| Name | imbi /imbi/ | iwi /iwi/ | wangalk /waŋalk/ | warra /wara/ | — /—/ | *r-miŋ /r-miŋ/ | *nimi /nimi/ |
| Eye | si /si/ | ta /ta/ | mela /mela/ | miibul /miːbul/ | *nun /nun/ | *s-mik /s-mik/ | *śilmä /śilmä/ |
| Hand | bit /bit/ | — /—/ | marra /maɾa/ | — /—/ | *son /son/ | *lak /lak/ | *käti /käti/ |
| Heart | kabiam /kabiam/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *mʌzʌm /mʌzʌm/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | nak /nak/ | tei /tei/ | tungal /tuŋal/ | — /—/ | *namʌk /namʌk/ | *siŋ /siŋ/ | *puwi /puwi/ |
| House | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | wau /wau/ | gonʌ /ɡonʌ/ | ngawu /ŋawu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *d-kʷəy /d-kʷəy/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | ni- /ni/ | nei /nei/ | jitha /dʒiθa/ | — /—/ | *mek- /mek-/ | *dzya /dzya/ | *sewe- /sewe-/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | kânok /kɐnok/ | — /—/ | kunngirr /kuŋŋir/ | — /—/ | *hʌnah /hʌnah/ | *tik /tik/ | *ükte /ükte/ |
| Two | yaet /jaʔet/ | iri /iri/ | kiyarrng /kijaraŋ/ | kiyarrngka /kijaraŋka/ | *tur /tur/ | *g-nis /g-nis/ | *kakta /kakta/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | âlipŋâ /ɐlipŋɐ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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