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]
Basic vocabulary of Mawes listed in Foley (2018):[3]
Mawes basic vocabulary
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
Sentences
Of the few sentences that have been documented for Mawes, some example sentences are:[3]: 497–8
(1)
ɛbɛ
3SG
marsya
yesterday
nomtak
come
ɛbɛ marsya nomtak
3SG yesterday come
‘He came yesterday.’
(2)
wɛdɛ
dog
ɛbɛ
3SG
ketes
bite
wɛdɛ ɛbɛ ketes
dog 3SG bite
‘The dog bit him.’
(3)
ke-me
man-?
totoso
money
kida-wɛn
1SG-POSS
mamɛnta
father
fɛn
DAT/ALL
tamu(k)
give
ke-me totoso kida-wɛn mamɛnta fɛn tamu(k)
man-? money 1SG-POSS father DAT/ALL give
‘That man gave money to my father.’
(4)
ɛbɛ-mɛ
3sg-?
dengkin
tree
nambuak
machete
kom
INSTR
sorna
cut
ɛbɛ-mɛ dengkin nambuak kom sorna
3sg-? tree machete INSTR cut
‘He is cutting wood with a machete.’
(5)
ke-me
man-?
sau
village
fɛn
DAT/ALL
banak
go
ke-me sau fɛn banak
man-? village DAT/ALL go
‘That man went to the village.’
(6)
ke-me
man-?
sau-er
village-ABL
nom
come
ke-me sau-er nom
man-? village-ABL come
‘That man came from the village.’
(7)
ke-me
man-?
yei
woman
dete
COM
banak
go
ke-me yei dete banak
man-? woman COM go
‘That man went with his wife.’
Further reading
Wambaliau, Theresia. 2006. Survey Report on the Mawes Language in Papua, Indonesia. (in Indonesian). Unpublished manuscript. Jayapura: SIL Indonesia.
Hammarström, Harald. 2010. The genetic position of the Mawes language. Paper presented at the Workshop on the Languages of Papua 2. Manokwari, Indonesia, 8–12 February 2010.
^ abcdFoley, William A. (2018). "The languages of Northwest 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. 433–568. ISBN978-3-11-028642-7.
^Harald Hammarström. 2010. The Genetic Position of the Mawes Language. Paper presented at the Workshop on the Languages of Papua 2, 8–12 February 2010, Manokwari, Indonesia.
^Voorhoeve, C.L. Languages of Irian Jaya: Checklist. Preliminary classification, language maps, wordlists. B-31, iv + 133 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1975. doi:10.15144/PL-B31
