In today's world, Mawes language is a topic that has become especially relevant. More and more people are interested in learning more about Mawes language, whether because of its impact on society, its importance in daily life or its relevance in the professional field. Mawes language has generated great interest both locally and globally, becoming a topic of constant discussion in different areas. In this article, we will explore in depth the impact of Mawes language and its influence on different aspects of modern life, offering a complete and detailed vision of this topic that is so relevant today.
| Mawes | |
|---|---|
| Region | Papua, Sarmi Regency, to the west of the Buri River:
|
| Extinct | by 2024[1] |
Northwest Papuan?
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | mgk |
| Glottolog | mawe1251 |
| ELP | Mawes |
Mawes is a recently extinct Papuan language of Indonesia.
Usher (2020) proposes that it may be related to the Kwerbic languages.[2] Foley (2018) classifies Mawes as a language isolate,[3] and so does Hammarström (2010).[4] It had 850 native speakers in 2006, but was extinct by 2024.[5]
Pronouns are:[3]
| sg | pl | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | kidam | inim |
| 2 | nam | nɛm |
| 3 | ɛbɛ | mia |
Basic vocabulary of Mawes listed in Foley (2018):[3]
| gloss | Mawes |
|---|---|
| ‘bird’ | ikinin |
| ‘blood’ | wɛrɛi |
| ‘bone’ | tuan |
| ‘ear’ | bɛr |
| ‘eat’ | nan |
| ‘egg’ | siwin |
| ‘eye’ | nonsum |
| ‘fire’ | kani |
| ‘leg, foot’ | yaʔ |
| ‘louse’ | sene |
| ‘name’ | dimanɛ |
| ‘one’ | mɛndakai |
| ‘see’ | nomo |
| ‘sky’ | kowan |
| ‘stone’ | fɛt |
| ‘sun’ | ɛsar |
| ‘tooth’ | wan |
| ‘tree’ | dengkin |
| ‘two’ | yakɛneu |
| ‘water’ | bo |
| ‘woman’ | yei |
The following basic vocabulary words are from Voorhoeve (1975),[6] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:[7]
| gloss | Mawes |
|---|---|
| head | defar |
| hair | tere |
| eye | nonsom |
| tooth | wan |
| leg | ija |
| dog | wede |
| pig | was |
| bird | ikinin |
| egg | siwin |
| blood | werei |
| bone | tuan |
| skin | dukunen |
| tree | deŋkin |
| man | ke |
| sun | esar |
| water | bo |
| fire | kani |
| stone | feyt |
| name | dimane |
| eat | nano |
| one | mendakai |
| two | yakenew |
Of the few sentences that have been documented for Mawes, some example sentences are:[3]: 497–8
ɛbɛ
3SG
marsya
yesterday
nomtak
come
‘He came yesterday.’
wɛdɛ
dog
ɛbɛ
3SG
ketes
bite
‘The dog bit him.’
ke-me
man-?
totoso
money
kida-wɛn
1SG-POSS
mamɛnta
father
fɛn
DAT/ALL
tamu(k)
give
‘That man gave money to my father.’
ɛbɛ-mɛ
3sg-?
dengkin
tree
nambuak
machete
kom
INSTR
sorna
cut
‘He is cutting wood with a machete.’
ke-me
man-?
sau
village
fɛn
DAT/ALL
banak
go
‘That man went to the village.’
ke-me
man-?
sau-er
village-ABL
nom
come
‘That man came from the village.’
ke-me
man-?
yei
woman
dete
COM
banak
go
‘That man went with his wife.’