The Dagan or Meneao Range languages are a small family of Trans–New Guinea languages spoken in the Meneao Range of the "Bird's Tail" (southeastern peninsula) of New Guinea, the easternmost Papuan languages on the mainland. They are the most divergent of the several small families within the Southeast Papuan branch of Trans–New Guinea.
| Dagan | |
|---|---|
| Meneao Range | |
| Geographic distribution | Meneao Range, southeastern peninsula of Papua New Guinea: Central Province and Milne Bay Province |
| Linguistic classification | Trans–New Guinea
|
| Glottolog | daga1274 |
The languages are:[1]
Although clearly related, they are not particularly close. Umanakaina and Ginuman, for example, are only 23% lexically similar.
Usher (2020) reconstructs the pronouns as:[2]
| sg | pl | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | *n[e/a] | *nu |
| 2 | *g[e/a] | *j[e/a] |
| 3 | *me | *mV |
The following basic vocabulary words are from SIL field notes (1965, 1967, 1973), as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:[3]
| gloss | Daga | Dima | Maiwa |
|---|---|---|---|
| head | iwa | una | kwi'.unwa; kuiyunwa |
| hair | igumewa | deba | gu'mawa; huiawa |
| ear | darinewa | taii(na) | nau'nawa; naunáwa |
| eye | yamewa | yamana | yaŋganwa; yaŋ'ganwa |
| nose | ginewa | giana | ginawa; gi'nunwa |
| tooth | nodonewa | wari(na) | do'nawa; donáwa |
| tongue | mɛriwa | pepa(na) | phed'nawa; pedt nawa |
| leg | wana | ai'raniwa; beawa | |
| louse | kuisin | igu | kwhi'sin; nagam; usiwa |
| dog | eao | kwegawa | kwhe'.au; kueyao |
| pig | tuan | boro | 'bui |
| bird | nɛnip | midiwari | nenip; ve'khæthu |
| egg | bagua | dodopi | ba'giwa; gat toda; kokorek bagiwa |
| blood | dɛnip | tawayana | di |
| bone | kaemewa | (e)regura | mařɛt'nawa |
| skin | ɛpiwa | etona | koápiwa; pha'phunwa |
| breast | amewa | ama | am |
| tree | oma | na | i; ioma |
| man | apan | apana | apan; a'phan |
| woman | oaen | wawina | ve'sin; wɛsin |
| sun | oam | gabudara | kum; khum |
| moon | siragam | dede | dut; duth |
| water | kaum | oa | ioi; yoi |
| fire | oma | iarema | íam; yaŋ'gawa |
| stone | agim | akima | agim; 'agim |
| road, path | neigin | iyawa | ɛbu; 'ɛbu |
| name | yaoa | ewani | i'vi wa |
| eat | naiwan | mɛ 'nane; naiwi | |
| one | daiton | daiida | desi'řoe; désirom |
| two | dɛrɛ | uri | dúam; duːʌm |
Dagan reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma:[4]
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