Mian
Trans-New Guinea (Mountain Ok)
Mian is a Trans-New Guinea Mountain Ok language spoken by ~3,500 in the rugged Star Mountains of Papua New Guinea (Telefomin and Tabubil). Famous for its complex gender-classifier system: every noun belongs to one of four gender classes (masculine, feminine, and two neuter genders) that influence verbal agreement, demonstratives, and quantifiers. Has biological-gender, shape, function, and animacy axes. Highly polysynthetic verbs with 6+ position classes. Documentation by Sebastian Fedden produced one of the most detailed Papuan grammars of the 21st century. Latin script.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Mian
Water
ot
/ot/
Fire
aon
/aon/
Sun
kep
/kep/
Moon
ham
/ham/
Star
fut
/fut/
Mother
na
/na/
Father
ki
/ki/
I
naka
/naka/
You
keba
/keba/
Name
weng
/weŋ/
Eye
tan
/tan/
Hand
kun
/kun/
Heart
tem
/tem/
Love
na
/na/
Tree
yel
/jel/
House
am
/am/
Dog
kowok
/kowok/
Cat
pus
/pus/
Eat
naka
/naka/
Drink
an
/an/
One
alok
/alok/
Two
ata
/ata/
Hello
aben
/aben/
Thank you
hok
/hok/
Good
kep
/kep/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Trans-New Guinea (Mountain Ok) languages
| Meaning | Mian | Faiwol | Nalca | Tokelauan | Sakizaya | Maranao | Atoni |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ot /ot/ | ok /ok/ | mi /mi/ | vai /vai/ | nanum /nanum/ | ig /iɡ/ | oe /oe/ |
| Fire | aon /aon/ | baal /baːl/ | lakil /lakil/ | afi /afi/ | lamal /lamal/ | apoy /apoj/ | ai /ai/ |
| Sun | kep /kep/ | kibel /kibel/ | nyem /ɲem/ | la /la/ | cidal /tʃidal/ | alongan /aloŋan/ | manas /manas/ |
| Moon | ham /ham/ | ulup /ulup/ | lakum /lakum/ | malama /malama/ | bulad /bulad/ | bolan /bolan/ | fun /fun/ |
| Star | fut /fut/ | milum /milum/ | gura' /guraʔ/ | fetu /fetu/ | bo'is /boʔis/ | bito-on /bitoʔon/ | kfu /kfuʔ/ |
| Mother | na /na/ | anim /anim/ | ne /ne/ | mātua /maːtua/ | ina /ina/ | ina /ina/ | ainaf /ainaf/ |
| Father | ki /ki/ | atim /atim/ | ke /ke/ | tamana /tamana/ | ama /ama/ | ama /ama/ | amat /amat/ |
| I | naka /naka/ | na /na/ | na /na/ | au /au/ | zaku /ʐaku/ | ako /ako/ | au /au/ |
| You | keba /keba/ | kaba /kaba/ | an /an/ | koe /koe/ | kisu /kisu/ | seka /sɵka/ | ho /ho/ |
| Name | weng /weŋ/ | win /win/ | si /si/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | ngangan /ŋaŋan/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | kanan /ˈkanan/ |
| Eye | tan /tan/ | nin /nin/ | nye /ɲe/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | matan /matan/ |
| Hand | kun /kun/ | miim /miːm/ | ku /ku/ | lima /lima/ | kamay /kamai/ | lima /lima/ | ʼniman /ʔniman/ |
| Heart | tem /tem/ | kayem /kajem/ | ngal /ŋal/ | fatu /fatu/ | gawang /ɡawaŋ/ | pusoʔ /pusoʔ/ | nesa /nesa/ |
| Love | na /na/ | kunum /kunum/ | ngam /ŋam/ | alofa /alofa/ | maolah /maolah/ | kalimo /kalimo/ | nekat /nekat/ |
| Tree | yel /jel/ | biin /biːn/ | ye /je/ | lakau /lakau/ | kilang /kilaŋ/ | kayo /kajo/ | hau /hau/ |
| House | am /am/ | am /am/ | kim /kim/ | fale /fale/ | luma /luma/ | walay /walaj/ | ume /ume/ |
| Dog | kowok /kowok/ | kuyak /kujak/ | ngal /ŋal/ | kuli /kuli/ | waco /watʃo/ | aso /aso/ | asu /asu/ |
| Cat | pus /pus/ | kit /kit/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | pusi /pusi/ | posi /posi/ | pusa /pusa/ | mose /mose/ |
| Eat | naka /naka/ | nemin /nemin/ | ne /ne/ | kai /kai/ | hekal /hekal/ | mangan /maŋan/ | ah /ah/ |
| Drink | an /an/ | ok ne /ok ne/ | mi ne /mi ne/ | inu /inu/ | mihecak /mihetʃak/ | minom /minom/ | ninu /ninu/ |
| One | alok /alok/ | kowin /kowin/ | mom /mom/ | tahi /tahi/ | cacay /tʃatʃai/ | isa /isa/ | mese /mese/ |
| Two | ata /ata/ | alep /alɛp/ | phein /pʰein/ | lua /lua/ | tusa /tusa/ | dowa /dowa/ | nua /ˈnua/ |
| Hello | aben /aben/ | ben kaba /ben kaba/ | silok /silok/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | marayas /maɾajas/ | kapian /kapijan/ | neut /neut/ |
| Thank you | hok /hok/ | ngam ngam /ŋam ŋam/ | amole /amole/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | lalumahan /lalumahan/ | salamat /salamat/ | neno biluk /neno biluk/ |
| Good | kep /kep/ | kanim /kanim/ | ko /ko/ | lelei /lelei/ | kapah /kapah/ | mapia /mapija/ | malaek /malaek/ |
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