The Ok language family in New Guinea

Abstract

A group of at least ten languages located around the junction of the borders of Irian Barat, the Territory of New Guinea, and Papua is examined and it is demonstrated that they constitute a single linguistic family. This volume is mainly descriptive, and the conclusions and methodological and theoretical implications are discussed within each chapter rather than at the end of the thesis. Chapter I describes the methods employed in collecting the linguistic data on which this study is based. The problems peculiar to linguistic surveys are discussed, as well as those that arise when the linguist and informant have no language in common. Pair testing has been found to be a very helpful device for studying the phonemic contrasts of a language, and a tape-recorder has proved a versatile tool in field work (provided one doesn't become its slave). An extensive bibliography on field method has been added. Chapter II describes and compares the languages of the Ok Family. The names, dialects, location, and population of each language is presented within the framework of a tentative classification into two subfamilies -- Mountain-Ok and Lowland-Ole. An alternative classification into three sub-families is possible, and is actually preferred later (Chapter III, Conclusion). The Ok languages have relatively simple phonemic systems based on a maximum of 14 consonants and 7 vowels. All Mountain-Ok languages have lexical pitch. Closed syllables, especially at the end of words, predominate in most languages. Nouns have almost no inflection, but verbs are suffixed for subject person/number, tense and aspect, and some verbs are prefixed for object person/number. Pronouns distinguish 'I' , 'you.m', 'you f.', 'he', 'she', 'we' , 'you pl.', and 'they', whereas subject suffixes on verbs distinguish 'I', 'you', 'he', 'she', 'we', and 'you pl./they'. A few indications are given of phrase and clause structure. Lexicostatistical word lists, scorings, and percentages are presented, and they support the language classification adopted and at the same time they indicate two cases of probable borrowing. Other language families neighbouring the Ok Family are examined and their contrast with it demonstrated. Chapter III identifies sound correspondences within Mountain--Ok and within Lowland-Ok, and lists of tentative proto-forms are given to illustrate these correspondences. The considerable amount of regularity observed indicates that the comparative'method is just as applicable to these Hew Guinea languages as to Indo-European or Austronesian languages. Some preliminary Proto-Ok cognate sets are offered, and some doublets that may point to Archaic Ok are discussed. Chapter IV illustrates Mountain-Ok phonologies by that of Teléfól. A method of scanning tape-recorded data is used to measure the length of phonetic segments, and by this technique vowel length is shown to be neutralized in medial syllables. Vowel distribution and neutralization are examined in detail. Lexical pitch is analyzed in terms of two step tonemes, UP and DOWN. Juncture and sandhi are also discussed.