Baining languages

Baining
Ethnicity	Baining people
Geographic distribution	Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain
Linguistic classification	East New Britain Baining
Language codes
Glottolog	bain1263

The Baining languages are a small language family spoken by the Baining people on the Gazelle Peninsula of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. They appear to be related to the neighboring Taulil–Butam languages, which immigrated from New Ireland.

Languages

The languages are:

• Mali (2,200 speakers)
• Qaqet (6,400 speakers)
• Kairak (900 speakers)
• Simbali (450 speakers)
• Ura (1,900 speakers)

Extinct Makolkol neighbored the (other) Baining languages to their southwest but is unattested.

Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from SIL field notes (1970, 1971, 1975), as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.

The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. sʌdᶺm, asdɛmgi for “ear”) or not (e.g. tʌƀəřʌk, it for “louse”).

gloss	Mali (Makunga dialect)	Mali (Arambum dialect)	Qaget	Ura
head	aŋʌpʌski	uwʌski	niŋaǥa; ʌ niŋʌg̶ʌ	amʌ niŋʌɣi; auwʌski; ʌmʌ niŋʌɣɩ
hair	aɣʌsɛŋ	ǥʌsɛŋ	aǥsiŋ; ʌg̶asiŋ	aɣʌsɛŋ; kʌsiŋ; kʌsɩŋ
ear	sʌdᶺm	asdɛmgi	asndəmgi; sədəmki	asdʌmgi; dʌsdəmgɩ; dʌsdəmgi
eye	saǥɔŋ	saǥoŋ	ʌ rʌsʌkŋiʌm; saknaǥa	asauɣoŋ; ʌ̂ sʌǥon; ʌ sʌǥoŋ
nose	kulimki	ulɩmgi	ǥəřɩmki; ʌ rʌg̶ʌrimgi	awʌlyʌmgi; ʌ ǥulimgɩ; ʌ ǥulimgi
tooth	alkɛŋ	ǥɛŋ	ařkiŋ; ařkingi	atkiŋgi; ʌ ǥʌřʌ; naeyɛŋ; næyɛŋ
tongue	aǥulbiŋka	ǥɔbɩnga	ǥalbinka; og̶lbinga	aɣuebunga; duɛbingʌ
leg	alaǥar; səlʌpiřom	aǥař	ʌ laiŋyat; ɩlaiŋ	ʌgʌřʌ
louse	tʌƀəřʌk	it	ᶩait; ʌ ɛɛtki	məaιt; məait; ɩr̰aɩt
dog	paimka	imga	daŋka; ʌ dʌŋgʌ	imga; mɛmgʌ
pig	ƀlam; pᶺlᶺmkah	ƀɛmgah	ƀiləmgʌ; ƀlam	ƀɩɛmgʌ; ƀiɛmgʌ; wemga
bird	isᶺmka	i sʌmga	waiṱki; ʌ wʌitka	ɛɛ'sumgʌ; ɛɛsumgʌ; isʌmga
egg	pa·lo	la	luaǥa; ʌ luʌg̶ʌ	duřaiṱ; duřaιt̯; luaɣa
blood	ambias	abiʌska	ʌg̶ʌřʌkʌ; ǥəřəka	a biaska; biʌskʌ
bone	səlʌp	atlɨp	lan; sləpki	a Lləp; ʌ Lləp; o slʌpki
skin	kᶺndʌnki	ŋᶺndᶺŋ	ǥət·dinki; ʌrʌgʌtdəŋit	aslɩɣɩge; ʌ sliyɩgɛ; ʌ sliyigɛ
breast	kʌmkʌ	ǥumukh	ǥomʌk; og̶əmək	at gəmuk; atkʌmuk
tree	amʌŋka	ŋumuŋ	mʌŋkha; munkʌ	ʌ muŋgʌ; ŋʌmuga
man	aroǥa; umᶺska	umʌska	ǥwatka; ʌ g̶wʌtkʌ	gamoɛɣa; gʌmuɛgʌ
woman	lɛƀɔpki	aƀopəkin	nanki; ʌ nʌngi	ɛwəpkɩ; ɛwəpki; Ewopki
sun	kunʌŋka	wunɛŋga	ʌ niřag̶a; niřaǥa; nɩlaǥa	ɣunʌga; wunʌgʌ
moon	ayaƀunki	'aǥɔngi	yaǥunki; ʌ yɔg̶ungi	yaǥunǥɩ; yaɣungi; yʌǥungi
water	ařɛŋki	řiŋgi	ǥřapki; ʌ kʌinʌg̶i	mʌřiŋgi; mʌřɩŋgɩ; rigi
fire	a mundʌm	mudʌmbʌs	altiŋki; ʌltiŋgi	mundʌbʌs; mundʌm
stone	dulki	diǥa	ʌ dulkʌ; dulka	duɩɣa; mʌ duɩ; mʌ dui
road, path	aiskah	iskah	aiskʌ; aiska	iska; mʌiskʌ; mʌɩskʌ
name	aŋařɛpki	ŋʌrɩpkih	dyiʌringi namgi; řɨnki	diŋyiřipki; diŋyɩrɩpkɩ; ŋʌr̰iþki
eat	katɨs	katɨs	ka tɨs; kʌ təs	ɣat tʌs; ka ts; kʌ təs
one	asʌŋgʌk	sɛgɨkh	ǥwanaska; og̶unʌskʌ	sɩgʌk; sʌgʌk; sigʌk
two	aundom	udion	ǥwanasiam; og̶unʌsiʌm	undiom; undɩom