[PapuanLanguages] Languages named "No"

[Aikhenvald, Alexandra]

This is not at all the case for any of  the Ndu languages in the East Sepik (nor for many of their neighbours).

A few Huon-Finisterre languages base their name on the word for what: Hannah Sarvasy (Hannah.Sarvasy at anu.edu.au) will be able to provide all the details.

As a matter of comparison - I am aware of at least one set of languages in Amazonia, named after the form for 'no': Kurripako, Karutana, Karo - all dialects of the Baniwa of Içana/Kurripako continuum (North Arawak). Speakers are aware of this, and comment on this.

Sacha

Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald, PhD, DLitt, FQAAS, FAHA 
Distinguished Professor and Australian Laureate Fellow
Director of the Language and Culture Research Centre
James Cook University
PO Box 6811, Cairns, Queensland 4870, Australia
http://www.jcu.edu.au/faess/JCUPRD_043649.html
mobile 0400 305315, office 61-7-42321117
fax 61-7-4232 1880  http://www.aikhenvaldlinguistics.com/
http://research.jcu.edu.au/lcrc


-----Original Message-----
From: PapuanLanguages [mailto:papuanlanguages-bounces at anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of Joyce Wood
Sent: Thursday, 25 February 2016 2:29 PM
To: papuanlanguages at anu.edu.au
Subject: Re: [PapuanLanguages] Languages named "No"

'no' (English) / 'nogat' (Tok Pisin)
is the naming convention for languages in the Sepik region of PNG. See Laycock 1975 in Pacific Linguistics. Sorry this is not a full citation.

I've always wondered which came first: Laycock's written records, or the language names? I used to think Laycock started it, but now I'm thinking that the convention was established among the language speakers themselves, long before Laycock visited there. Info anyone?
- Joyce Wood

On 2/25/2016 1:24 PM, Tom Honeyman wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I have often heard anecdotal evidence of a naming pattern, supposedly widespread, in various parts of both PNG and Australia of languages "named" for the word meaning “no” (or “no-having”, or the negator) in that language.
>
> I'm sure I have a memory of someone either publishing or at least blogging about this in the last 10 years or so, but I can't for the life of me find the source. “No” is of course not the only convention either.
>
> Can anyone please point me in the right direction?
>
> Regards,
> Tom Honeyman
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> PapuanLanguages mailing list
> PapuanLanguages at anu.edu.au
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