| Greater Binanderean | |
|---|---|
| Guhu-Oro | |
| Geographic distribution | Oro Province and parts of southernMorobe Province,Papua New Guinea |
| Linguistic classification | Binanderean–Goilalan[1]
|
| Subdivisions |
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | bina1276 |
 Map: The Greater Binanderean languages of New Guinea Greater Binanderean languages Trans–New Guinea languages Other Papuan languages Austronesian languages Uninhabited | |
TheGreater Binanderean orGuhu-Oro languages are alanguage family spoken along the northeast coast of thePapuan Peninsula – the "Bird's Tail" of New Guinea – and appear to be a recent expansion from the north. They were classified as a branch of theTrans–New Guinea languages byStephen Wurm (1975) andMalcolm Ross (2005), but removed (along with the relatedGoilalan languages) by Timothy Usher (2020).[2] The Binandere family proper is transparently valid; Ross connected it to the Guhu-Semane isolate based on pronominal evidence, and this has been confirmed by Smallhorn (2011). Proto-Binanderean (which excludesGuhu-Samane) has been reconstructed in Smallhorn (2011).
There is evidence that settlements of people speakingOceanic languages along the Binanderean coast were gradually absorbed into inland communities speaking Binanderean languages (Bradshaw 2017). For instance, theSOV word order ofPapuan Tip languages is due to Binanderean influence.[3]
Korafe displays significant influence fromOceanic languages. Meanwhile,Maisin, spoken inOro Province, is anOceanic language with very heavy Binanderean influence and shows characteristics typical ofmixed languages.[3]
Spoken inMorobe Province,Guhu-Samane is divergent, which may be due to extensive historical contact withOceanic languages such asNumbami.[3]
Greater Binanderean consists of the Guhu-Samane language and the Binanderean languages proper.Smallhorn (2011:444) provides the following classification:
However, South Binanderean and Nuclear Binanderean are non-genealogicallinkages. Usher (2020), who calls the Binanderean languages proper "Oro" afterOro Province, classifies them very similarly, apart from not reproducing the non-cladistic linkages:[2]
Smallhorn (2011:3) provides population figures for the following Binanderean languages.
Ross (2005) reconstructs both independent pronouns and verbal person prefixes:
| sg. | pronoun | prefix |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | *na | *a- |
| 2 | *ni | *i- |
| 3 | *nu | *u- |
Only 1sg continues the Trans-New Guinea set.
The following selected reconstructions of Proto-Binanderean and other lower-level reconstructions are from the Trans-New Guinea database:[4]
| gloss | Proto-Binandere | Proto-North-Binandere | Proto-Nuclear-Binandere |
|---|---|---|---|
| head | *ciro; *giti | ||
| hair | *tu | ||
| ear | *doŋgarә | *onje | |
| eye | *dibe; *diti | ||
| nose | *mendә | ||
| tooth | *di | ||
| tongue | *VwVwV | ||
| dog | *sinә | ||
| pig | *pu | ||
| bird | *ndi | ||
| egg | *munju | ||
| blood | *ju; *or{a,o}rә | ||
| bone | *bobo; *wetu | ||
| skin | *tamә | ||
| breast | *ami | ||
| tree | *i | ||
| man | *embә | ||
| woman | *bam{u,o}nә | *ewVtu | |
| sky | *utu | ||
| sun | *iji; *waeko | *wari | |
| moon | *inua | *kariga | |
| fire | *awo | ||
| stone | *g{o,e}mb{a,i}(ro) | *daba | *ganuma |
| road, path | *begata; *esa; *ndai | ||
| name | *jajo; *jawә | ||
| eat | *ind-; *mind- | ||
| one | *daba |
Greater Binanderean reflexes ofproto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma are:[5]
Like theKoiarian languages, Binanderean languages only allow for open syllables and do not allow final CVC.[5]: 87