| Left May–Kwomtari | |
|---|---|
| Arai–Kwomtari | |
| (controversial) | |
| Geographic distribution | New Guinea |
| Linguistic classification | Proposedlanguage family |
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | None |
TheLeft May–Kwomtari orArai–Kwomtari languages are a possible smallfamily ofPapuan languages proposed byMalcolm Ross, which links theLeft May (Arai) family with theKwomtari–Fas proposal (Loving & Bass 1964). However, the proposal is problematic; it's not clear if the Arai correspondences are with Kwomtari, with Fas, or with both, as Kwomtari–Fas is itself dubious.
Baron (1983) notes that most classifications, including Ross's, perpetuate an early copy error, placing Fas in the Kwomtari family and Nai in the Baibai family. This contradicts the original classification of Loving and Bass, which is supported by their field notes. (SeeKwomtari–Baibai languages.) Taking this into account weakens the case for the Left May-Kwomtari proposals. Some relevant pronouns are shown below (Baron 1983):
| family | language | I | thou | he | she | they |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kwomtari | Kwomtari | mɔro | ɔno | ɛto | topai | |
| Nai | nɔmbwirɛ | wonɔ | ɛni | tɔmwɔ | ||
| Guriaso | nan | waw | amo | |||
| Fas | Baibai | ɛtjɛ | aŋɡi | nɛfɛ,wɔ | anjɛ | |
| Fas | tɛ | haj | wɔ(β) | nəb | ||
| Arai | Yinibu | asi,na- | na,nɛni,nan- | ani,w- | wa,tat- | mwa |
| Pyu | kwa | no | na | |||
It appears that for proto-Arai and proto-Fas a pronoun*atie might be reconstructed for "I", and a*wa for "s/he", while for Arai and Kwomtari perhaps*na and*amwa might be reconstructed for "you" and "they", with the former perhaps including Pyu as well. No pronouns obviously connect Kwomtari and Fas.
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