[PapuanLanguages] Follow-up on some PNG languages unclassified in the Ethnologue

[Harald Hammarström]

Dear all,
About a year ago I enquired for more information about a number
of languages which the Ethnologue (15th) lists as unclassified:

Turumsa [tqm]
Dso [dol]
Murkim [rmh]
Keu/kehu [khh]
Lepki [lpe]
Kembre/kembra [xkw]
Betaf [bfe] (this one is listed in index of irian jaya lgs 1984).

Andrew Pawley pointed out that, the last three, Lepki, Kembra and Betaf,
are listed as SHWNG (thus Austronesian) languages in Carrington (1996)
[which unfortunately I do not have access to], but there was no further
information.

As many people have probably noticed already, SIL PNG put up a site on
Endangered PNG languages:
http://www.pnglanguages.org/pacific/png/endangered.asp
One of the documents there clarifies the Turumsa and Doso languages,
in that they are TNG, as per wordlists that have yet to published.

I still haven't found out anything about Kehu or Murkim (but they may
be listed in Index of Irian Jaya Lgs 2nd Ed, 1991 which I don't have
access to).

all the best,

H

References:
L. Carrington 1996 A linguistic bibliography of the New Guinea area,
PLSD 90, RSPA.