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
20 core words in Komba
Water
to
/to/
Fire
kʌrʌp
/kʌɾʌp/
Sun
mirâsiŋ
/miɾɐsiŋ/
Moon
kain
/kain/
Mother
mam
/mam/
Father
iwâ
/iwɐ/
Eat
ni-
/ni/
Drink
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Heart
kabiam
/kabiam/
Tree
nak
/nak/
House
—
/—/
Dog
wau
/wau/
Cat
—
/—/
Hand
bit
/bit/
Eye
si
/si/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
One
kânok
/kɐnok/
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 | Lardil | Scythian | Yangkaal | Neko | Phrygian | Ubykh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | to /to/ | kantha /kanθa/ | ap /ap/ | ngogo /ŋoɡo/ | wai /wai/ | — /—/ | bzə /bzə/ |
| Fire | kʌrʌp /kʌɾʌp/ | jalul /d͡ʒalul/ | ātar /aːtar/ | ngida /ŋida/ | titɛ /titɛ/ | — /—/ | mzʼə /mzʼə/ |
| Sun | mirâsiŋ /miɾɐsiŋ/ | thurara /θuɾaɾa/ | hvar /xʷar/ | wargu /waɾɡu/ | aatʌ /aːtʌ/ | — /—/ | dəɣʷa /dəɣʷa/ |
| Moon | kain /kain/ | kirdikir /kiɖikir/ | māh /maːh/ | waldar /waldaɾ/ | — /—/ | masê /maˈseː/ | mazə /mazə/ |
| Mother | mam /mam/ | ngama /ŋama/ | mātar /maːtar/ | ngama /ŋama/ | — /—/ | mater /ˈmater/ | nan /nan/ |
| Father | iwâ /iwɐ/ | — /—/ | pitar /pitar/ | kanda /kanda/ | — /—/ | atas /aˈtas/ | tʷə /tʷə/ |
| Eat | ni- /ni/ | jitha /d͡ʒiθa/ | xwartan /xʷartan/ | — /—/ | nei /nei/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | kabiam /kabiam/ | — /—/ | zard- /zard/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | gʷə /ɡʷə/ |
| Tree | nak /nak/ | tungal /tuŋal/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | tei /tei/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | tʷəna /tʷəna/ |
| Dog | wau /wau/ | ngawu /ŋawu/ | spaka /spaka/ | — /—/ | gonʌ /ɡonʌ/ | kan /kan/ | la /la/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | bit /bit/ | marra /maɾa/ | zasta /zasta/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ɂa /ʔa/ |
| Eye | si /si/ | mela /mela/ | čašm /tʃaʃm/ | miibul /miːbul/ | ta /ta/ | — /—/ | bla /bla/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | kânok /kɐnok/ | kunngirr /kuŋŋir/ | aiwa /aiwa/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | za /za/ |
| Good | âlipŋâ /ɐlipŋɐ/ | — /—/ | vohu /wohu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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