The Mafulu - Part 37
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Part 37

My. Thy. His. Our. Your. Their.

Fuyuge nau(le) nu(le) u(le) diu(le) yu(le) ta(le) naula(ne) nula(ne) ula(ne) diula(ne) yula(ne) tala(ne) Kambisa narando nurando hurando -- -- haruando Tauata neve nie omene nanene nuvene otene Kovio nemai nimai pimai -- -- -- Oru-Lopiko nema nima pima daema alima valoma Toaripi arave ave areve elave eve ereve Binandele nato ito ounda, kaenato itomane omida owanda

Sometimes the simple form of the p.r.o.noun is prefixed to the noun in Tauata to indicate the possessive, as in Namau and Koita. Tauata _na ate_, Koita _di omote_, Namau, _na uku_, "my head."

The numerals also show great differences. As far as "three" they appear as follows:

Fuyuge. Korona. Sikitbe. Afoa. Tauata. Kovio. Oru Lopiko.

1. fida(ne) fida(ne) fidana koane kone uniuni konepu 2. gegeto gegeda iuara atolowai atoloai karaala kalotolo 3. gegeto m'inaa gegeda-fidane iuara-minda atolowai-itime atoloai-laina naralavievi-napuevi konekhalavi

Some of these words have other meanings. Thus Fuyuge 2, _gegeto_ is given also as "few." In Tauata 1, _kone_ duplicated as _konekone_ is "few," whilst _onioni_, means "alone." In Oru Lopiko 1, _konepu_ compares with _onionipu_, "few."

These numerals are all different from Mailu, Koita, Binandele, Toaripi and Namau.

Mailu. Koita. Binandele. Toaripi. Namau. Kiwai.

1. omu kobua, igagu da farakeka monou nao 2. ava abu tote orakoria morere netowa.

3. aiseri abi-gaga tamonde oroisoria morere-monou netowa-naobi

The vocabulary shows very few agreements, and there is very little evidence in support of a connection of any one of these dialects with its neighbours. The following correspondences may be purely accidental.

Bamboo. Afoa, _ila_; Namau, _ina_.

Banana. Korona, _haba_; Iworo, _sabari_.

Barter. Afoa, _tavatava_; Toaripi, _tavatava_.

Belly. Oru Lop., _data_; Sogeri, Koiari, _detu_.

Black. Fuyuge, _dube, duba_; Neneba, _aduve_; Koiari, Koita, _dubu_.

Blood. Fuyuge, _tana_; Koiari, Koita, _tago_.

Bone. Fuyuge, _fude, &c._; Toaripi, _uti_.

Child. Fuyuge, _me(le_); Binandele, _mai_; Berepo, _me_.

Fuyuge, _isia_; Kambisa, _isa_; Ubere, _esi_; Neneba, _eche_.

Coconut. Kambisa, _bao_; Koiari, _bagha_.

Crocodile. Fuyuge, _fua, fuai_; Koiari, _fuie_.

Dig. Fuyuge, _etsia_; Toaripi, _isei_.

Dog. Fuyuge, _oi, ho_; Agi, Ubere, _o_; Koiari, &c., _to_.

Eat, Drink. Fuyuge, _na, nene_; Namau, _na_.

Fire. Tauata, _ena_; Koiari, _vene_; Koita, _veni_.

Foot. Fuyuge, &c., _soge, suga_; Amara, _joka_.

Male. Tauata, _mu_; Toaripi, _mo_. Oru Lopiko, _vitapu_; Toaripi, _vita_.

Man. Fuyuge _a(ne_); Neneba, _ana_; Koiari, Koita, _ata_.

Mother. Oru Lopiko, Kovio, _nei_, Uberi, _neia_; Koita, _neina_; Tauata; _ine_; Koiari, _ine_.

Pig. Kambisa, _sika_; Musa River, _siko_.

Fuyuge, _avo_; Koiari, _ofo_; Koita, _oho_.

Rope. Fuyuge, _konange_; Gosisi, _G.o.da_; Koiari, Koita,_gote_.

Salt. Fuyuge, _ama(ne_); Neneba, Iworo, _amani_.

Taro. Fuyuge, &c., _munde_, _muda_; Neneba, _muda_.

Tree. Fuyuge, _i_, _iye_; Kovio, _ida_; Koiari, Koita, _idi_.

Water. Fuyuge, &c., _yu_; Afoa, _i(pe_); Neneba, _ei_; Ubere, _e_.

Woman. Fuyuge, _amu_; Iworo, Neneba, _amuro_, wife.

SECTION III

III. Papuan and Melanesian.

Three Melanesian languages are spoken in the country around the lower courses of the St. Joseph and Aroa rivers, and are thus in immediate contact with the Papuan languages spoken about the upper waters. These Melanesian languages are the Mekeo, Kuni and Pokau. It is, therefore, of some importance to note whether any apparently non-Melanesian elements in these languages may be traced to the influence of the neighbouring Papuan tongues.

In Grammar the only non-Melanesian characteristic which appears is the preceding of the substantive by the genitive, but in the vocabularies a few correspondences are found.

Bamboo Pokau, _ileile_; Fuyuge, _ele_; Afoa, _ila_. Sinaugoro, _tobo_; Korono, _tobo_. Kuni, _bioni_; Mekeo, _piengi_; Fuyuge, _bione_.

Big Kuni, _galoa_; Afoa, _kalowo_.

Bird Mekeo, _inei_; Afoa, _kile_; Oru Lopiko, _ite_.

Breast Pokau, _pede_; Oru Lopiko, _apetei_.

Chest Mekeo, _olanga_; Oru Lopiko, _ulako_.

Couch Kuni, _itsifu_; Tauata, _itsifu_.

Crocodile Roro, _puaea_; Kabadi, _ua_; Fuyuge, _fua_.