[Papuanlanguages] 'Eating water' and elsewhere: a summary

[Jan Gossner]

Add Edolo (ETR Bosavi family) to those having an ingest/consume verb, in this case na-. It is used of something being consumed by fire and euphemistically of sexual intercourse. There are separate verbs for both burn and sexual intercourse. In death by drowning or by fire, the water or the fire eats someone. I don't know of another way than na- to express death by these means.

Jan Gossner

-----Original Message-----
From: papuanlanguages-bounces at anu.edu.au
[mailto:papuanlanguages-bounces at anu.edu.au]On Behalf Of John Roberts
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 5:16 AM
To: Papuan languages discussion list
Subject: Re: [Papuanlanguages] 'Eating water' and elsewhere: a summary


> The existence of a single 'ingest/consume' verb was pointed out for the 
> following languages:


> Kalam (Kalam-Kobon) - Andy Pawley
> Yahang (Torricelli) - Colin Filer
> Ku Waru (East New Guinea Highlands) - Alan Rumsey
> Duna (Duna-Bogaya) - Lila San Roque
> Kewa (Engan) - Karl Franklin
> Orokaiva (Binanderean) - Lise Dobrin
> Korafe Yegha and Tafota Baruga (Binanderean) - Cindi Farr
> Arapeshan languages (Torricelli) - Lise Dobrin
> Biangai (Goilalan) - Ngawae Mitio
> Alamblak (Sepik Hill) - Les Bruce
> Koromu (Evapia group, Rai Coast, Madang)- Carol Priestley
> Awiyakay (Arafundi) - Darja Hoenigman

You can add Amele (Madang) to this list. This language also has a single 
'ingest/consume' verb. Common uses are to ingest food, water and tobacco (to 
smoke). Its cognate is realized in most of the Mabuso languages of Madang 
Province. An idiomatic expression literally 'to consume a woman' means 'to 
marry a woman'. Amele also has separate lexical means of expressing 'to be 
hungry' and 'to be thirsty'.

John Roberts

... observing from afar

***********************************
John R Roberts
SIL International Linguistics Consultant
dr_john_roberts at sil.org
***********************************

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