Torricelli languages
Encyclopedia
The Torricelli languages are a language family
of about fifty languages of the northern Papua New Guinea
coast, spoken by only about 80,000 people. Named after Torricelli Mountains
. The most populous and best known Torricelli languages are the Arapesh
, with about 30,000 speakers.
The most promising external relationship for the Torricelli family is the Sepik languages
. In reconstructions of both families, the pronouns have a plural suffix *-m and a dual
suffix *-p.
The Torricelli languages occupy three geographically separated areas, evidently separated by migrations of Sepik-language speakers several centuries ago.
Language family
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family. The term 'family' comes from the tree model of language origination in historical linguistics, which makes use of a metaphor comparing languages to people in a...
of about fifty languages of the northern Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
coast, spoken by only about 80,000 people. Named after Torricelli Mountains
Torricelli Mountains
Torricelli Mountains is a mountain range in Sandaun Province, northwestern Papua New Guinea. The highest peak in the range is Mount Sulen at 1650 meters. The Bewani Mountains are located to the west, and the Prince Alexander Mountains are located to the east...
. The most populous and best known Torricelli languages are the Arapesh
Arapesh languages
The Arapesh languages are several closely related Torricelli languages of the 32,000 Arapesh people of Papua New Guinea.They are among the better-studied of Papuan languages and are most distinctive in their gender systems, which contain up to thirteen genders with noun-phrase...
, with about 30,000 speakers.
The most promising external relationship for the Torricelli family is the Sepik languages
Sepik languages
-Pronouns:The pronouns Ross reconstructs for proto-Sepik are:Note the similarities of the dual and plural suffixes with those of the Torricelli languages.-See also:*Papuan languages*Sepik–Ramu languages*Donald Laycock...
. In reconstructions of both families, the pronouns have a plural suffix *-m and a dual
Dual
Dual may refer to:* Dual , a notion of paired concepts that mirror one another** Dual , a formalization of mathematical duality** . . ...
suffix *-p.
The Torricelli languages occupy three geographically separated areas, evidently separated by migrations of Sepik-language speakers several centuries ago.
Classification
Wilhelm Schmidt linked the Wapei and Monumbo branches, and the coastal western and eastern extremes of the family, in 1905. The family was more fully established by David Laycock in 1965. Most recently, Ross broke up Laycock and Z’graggen's (1975) Kombio branch, placing the Kombio language in the Palei branch and leaving Wom as on its own, with the other languages (Eitiep, Torricelli (Lou), Yambes, Aruek) unclassified due to lack of data.- WomWom language (Papua New Guinea)Wom or Wam is a Papuan language of the Torricelli language family spoken by 4,264 people in East Sepik province, Papua New Guinea....
- Arapesh languagesArapesh languagesThe Arapesh languages are several closely related Torricelli languages of the 32,000 Arapesh people of Papua New Guinea.They are among the better-studied of Papuan languages and are most distinctive in their gender systems, which contain up to thirteen genders with noun-phrase...
(see) - Maimai branch: Nambi (Nabi), Wiaki (Minidien), Siliput, YahangYahang languageYahang Ruruhip is a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea. It shares the name Ruruhip with Heyo....
, HeyoHeyo languageHeyo Arinua is a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea. It is also known as Lolopani and Ruruhip; this last it shares with Yahang....
, BeliBeli languageBeli is a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea. It is also known as Akuwagel, Makarim, Mukili.... - West Wapei branch: Seti, Seta, OneOne languageOne is a Torricelli dialect cluster of Papua New Guinea....
(a dialect cluster) - Monumbo branch: Monumbo, Lilau
- Marienberg branch: Bungain, Wiarumus (Mandi), Muniwara (Juwal), Urimo, Kamasau, Elepi, Buna
- Wapei branch: GnauGnau languageGnau is a language of Papua New Guinea. It is part of the Torricelli language family....
, Yis, Yau, Olo, Elkei, Au, YilYil languageYil is a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea....
, DiaDia languageDia is a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea. Sinagen is also called Galu....
(Alu), Ningil, Sinagen (Galu), Yapunda, Valman - Palei branch: UrimUrim languageUrim is a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea. It is also known as Kalp; dialects are Kukwo, Yangkolen....
, UratUrat languageUrat is a Torricelli language spoken by a decreasing number of people in Papua New Guinea....
, KombioKombio languageKombio is a Torricelli language spoken by a decreasing number of people in Papua New Guinea, as people shift to Tok Pisin. It also goes by the name Endangen. Mwi dialect is divergent, but there is some degree of difficulty in comprehension between other major dialects as well ....
, Agi, Aruop, WanapWanap languageWanap or Kayik is a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea....
(Kayik), Amol (Alatil, Aru), Aiku (AmbrakAmbrak languageAmbrak is a Torricelli language spoken in the Nuku District of the Sandaun Province in Papua New Guinea. According to the 2000 census, there are approximately 290 speakers....
, YangumYangum languageYangum is a Torricelli dialect cluster of Papua New Guinea. Gel is nearly extinct. The principal variety is Mon, which is also known as Aiku, Malek, Menandon ~ Minendon; these names have been used for all Yangum varieties plus the closely related Ambrak....
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Typological overview
The Torricelli languages are unusual among Papuan languages in having a basic clause order of SVO (subject–verb–object). (In contrast, most Papuan languages have SOV order.) It was previously believed that the Torricelli word order was a result of contact with Austronesian languages, but it is now thought more likely that SVO order was present in the Torricelli proto-language (Donohue 2005).Pronouns
The pronouns Ross reconstructs for proto-Torricelli are,| I | *ki | we two | *ku-p | we | *ku-m, *əpə |
| thou | *yi, *ti | you two | *ki-p | you | *ki-m, *ipa |
| he | *ətə-n, *ni | they two (M) | *ma-k | they (M) | *ətə-m, *ma, *apa- |
| she | *ətə-k, *ku | they two (F) | *kwa-k | they (F) | *ətə-l |