Tonda languages

The Tonda languages form a branch of the Yam language family of southern New Guinea. There are over 10 languages.

Tonda
West Morehead River
Geographic distribution	Southern New Guinea
Linguistic classification	Yam Tonda
Language codes
Glottolog	tond1250
Map: The Yam languages of New Guinea   Yam languages   Trans–New Guinea languages   Other Papuan languages   Austronesian languages   Australian languages   Uninhabited

Tonda languages share some areal features are shared with the Kolopom languages.

Languages

The Tonda languages are:

Tonda / West Morehead River

• Arammba
• Central Morehead River: Anta, Kómnzo, Wára, Wérè, Kémä, Kánchá
• Warta Thuntai
• Bensbach River
  • Upper Bensbach River
    • Mblafe–Ránmo
    • Ngarna–Rema
      • Nggarna (Sota)
      • Rema
  • Kanum
    • Ngkolmpu: Ngkâlmpw/Ngkontar, Bädi
    • South Kanum: Bârkâli-Smärki, Tämer

Notes (see Evans 2018: 681):

• Each terminal bullet point lists a different dialect chain.
• Ránmo is linguistically a dialect of Mblafe, but Ránmo speakers consider their language to be a separate, distinct language.
• Wérè is linguistically a dialect of Wára, but Wèré speakers consider their language to be a separate, distinct language.

Numeral typology

Further information: Senary § Natural languages

Tonda languages are unique for their base-6 numeral systems, which likely originated from counting yams (rather than fingers or body parts as with most other languages).

References

• Evans, Nicholas (2018). "The languages of Southern New Guinea". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 641–774. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.

External links

• Timothy Usher, New Guinea World, Proto–West Morehead River (under construction 2020)

Further reading

• Grummitt, John and Janell Masters. 2012. A Survey of the Tonda Sub-Group of Languages. SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2012-018.