Dani languages
The Dani or Balim Valley languages are a family of clearly related Trans–New Guinea languages spoken by the Dani and related peoples in the Balim Valley in the highlands of Papua Province, Indonesia. Foley considers their TNG status to be established. They may be most closely related to the languages of Paniai Lakes, but this is not yet clear. Capell had posited that their closest relatives were the Kwerba languages, which Ross rejects.Languages
Larson divided the family into three branches based on lexicostatistics, and Nggem was later added as a fourth. The Ngalik languages are very poorly attested.
Usher reconstructs the consonant inventory as follows: This is identical to the reconstruction of Bromley apart from adding the rare consonants *pw, *mbw and the possible additional vowel *ɐ
And the diphthongs *ei, *ou, *ai, *au.Pronouns
Ross reconstructs the independent pronouns and possessive/object prefixes of Central Dani as:Evolution
Dani reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea etyma are:
Grand Valley Dani language:
- ap ‘man’ < *ambi
- meli ‘tongue’ < *mee
- n-esi ‘hair’ < *iti
- me- ‘come’ < *me-
- ket ‘new’ < *kVndak
Western Dani language:
- ap ‘man’ < *ambi
- iti < *iti
- meli ‘tongue’ < *mee
- get ‘new’ < *kVndak
- okut ‘leg’ < *kndok
- kat ‘skin’ < *aapu
- idu ‘tree’ < *inda
Ngalik language:
- iduetu ‘tree’ < *inda
- amu ‘breast’ < *amu
- tokon ‘full’ < *tVkV
- kopu ‘smoke’ < *kambu
