# Baliem Valley languages

The Dani or Baliem Valley languages are a family of clearly related Trans–New Guinea languages spoken by the Dani and related peoples in the Baliem Valley in the Highland Papua, Indonesia. Foley (2003) considers their Trans–New Guinea language group status to be established. They may be most closely related to the languages of Paniai Lakes, but this is not yet clear. Capell (1962) posited that their closest relatives were the Kwerba languages, which Ross (2005) rejects.

## Languages

Larson (1977) divided the family into three branches based on lexicostatistics, and Nggem was later added as a fourth. The Ngalik languages are very poorly attested.
* Dani family
** Wano
** Nggem
** Central Dani:
*** Grand Valley Dani (upper, lower, and mid dialects)
*** Hupla
*** Western Dani–Walak
** Ngalik:
*** Nduga
*** Silimo
*** Yali (dialect cluster)

## Phonemes

Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant inventory as follows. This is identical to the reconstruction of Bromley (1966-1967) apart from adding the rare consonants *pw, *mbw, and the possible additional vowel *ɐ.
Consonants :
| | | Labial | Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Velar |
| Nasal | Nasal | *m | | *n | | | |
| Stop | Voiceless | *p | *pʷ | *t | | *k | *kʷ |
| Stop | Pre-nasalized | *mb | *mbʷ | *nd | | *ŋg | *ŋgʷ |
| Stop | Implosive | *ɓ | | *ɗ | | | |
| Approximant | Approximant | *w | | *l | *j | | |
Vowels :
| | Front | Central | Back |
| Close | *i | | *u |
| Near-close | *ɪ | | *ʊ |
| Mid | *e | [*ɐ] | *o |
| Open | | *a | |
And the diphthongs *ei, *ou, *ai, *au.

## Pronouns

Ross (1995) reconstructs the independent pronouns and possessive/object prefixes of Central Dani as:
    singularplural 1 *an, *n[a]*ni-t, *nin[a]- 2 *ka-t, *k[a]*ki-t, *kin[a]- 3 *a-t, *∅/w-*i-t, *in[a]-

## Vocabulary comparison

The following basic vocabulary words are from Bromley (1967) and Voorhoeve (1975), as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database.
The words cited constitute translation equivalents, whether they are cognate (e.g. nakapak, ogobak, nokopak for “nose”) or not (e.g. natði, nemake, nabilikagen for “tongue”).
| gloss | Dani Lower Grand Valley (Hitigima dial.) | Dani Lower Grand Valley (Tangma dial.) | Dani Lower Grand Valley | Dani Mid Grand Valley | Dani Upper Grand Valley | Dani Western | Walak | Silimo (South Ngalik dial.) | Silimo | Yali Angguruk | Yali Pass Valley |
| head | mʊkkʊl-oak | mʊkkʊl-oak | nukul-oaq | nʊgʊl-oak | nanupah | aneb; anobak | nalupak | naŋgul | nagʊl | nʊgʊl | hou |
| hair | nesi | nesi | nesi | nesi | neeti | eeɾuwak; neti | niti | nenasu | nasu | notuk | hoŋ |
| ear | nesakko | nesakko | | nasuk | natuk [nařuk] | aɾuk | natuk [nařuk] | | nesago | nɪsago | |
| eye | neil-ekken | neil-ekken | neil-eken | nel-egen | neneken | enegen; negen | nil | nələŋgen | nɪlegen | nɪl | həŋ |
| nose | nappisan | namisaŋ | | nakouwak-oak | nakapak | ogobak | nokopak | | nebijaŋ | nabijaŋ | |
| tooth | naik | naik | naik | naik | nɪk | neik | naik | neniak | nɪak; neak | najek | si |
| tongue | nameli | namili | | na∂i | namɪlɪ | amela | natði | | nemake | nabilikagen | |
| leg | | | nesoq | | | iyok; owak | | | | | yan saŋ |
| louse | napɪ | napɪ | navi | napɪ | napɪ | abee | napɪ | | nekepɪ; pɪ | pɪ | am |
| dog | jekke | jekke | yake | jege | gewo | gewo; nggewo | gewo | yeŋge | mene | mene | kam |
| pig | wam | wam | wam | wam | wa:n | wam | wam | wam | wam | wam | meya |
| bird | sʊe | sʊe | sue | tʊe | tewe | tewe; towe | tewe | tuwe | sʊe | suwe | winaŋ |
| egg | sʊe-kken | sʊe-kken | sue-ken | tʊe-gen | tewe-gen | eko | tewe-gen | eŋgen | sʊe-egen | suwe-gen | winaŋ won |
| blood | mep | mep | mep | mep | mep | amiya; muya | mep | | mep | gete; mep | iniŋ |
| bone | noak | noak | noaq | noak | nowakano | owak | nowak | | nʊak | noak | yok |
| skin | noat | nakap | naxap | noatðo | nakatlo | agabelo | nakatðo | | nakap | nakap | pok |
| breast | neilak | neilak | | niðak | nelak | elak | neðak | | nakamʊ | nak | |
| tree | o | e | e | o | ejo | eyo | o | bene | e | e | |
| man | ap | ap | ap | | ap | ap | | ap | ap | ap | nimnya |
| woman | he; hɪmɪ | he; hʊmɪ | | he | kwe | | kwe | | kwamɪ | keap | |
| sky | | | | | | mbogut | | | | | |
| sun | mo | mo | mo | mʊlɪgɪ | mo | oonegen; yawo | mo; o-il | | mo | mo | hin |
| moon | tuki | tuki | | tʊt | tʊt | tut | tʊt | | duki | bikkalem | |
| water | i | i | i | i | ji | mio; nio; niyo | | i; ies | ik | ik | tin |
| fire | hettouk | ettu | etu | hɪdʊ [hɪtʊ] | ɪdʊ [ɪndʊ] | endo; kani | idu | enduk | odʊk | idok | uk |
| stone | helep | helep | helep | helegit [helekit] | jʊkum | yugum; yukum | git [ŋgit] | kəlip | kelep | kelep | kirik |
| road, path | ke; kwe | kwe | | holak-aðem | tuwan | | tuwan | | epela | pʊgalem | |
| name | ettake | ettake | eraxe | edaka [etaga] | edaka [endaga] | endage; etaxe | edaka | | onuk | unuk | nimnya |
| eat | | | | | namen | namen!; ne-; nengge | | nənəm- | emen | namɪn (ɪs ?) | (kwaniŋ) etiŋ |
| one | makke-at; pakke-at | oppakke-at | opake-at | bagɪ-at | abɪ | ambe; ambit | omagi-at | ambui | mesik | mɪsɪk | sendeik |
| two | pete; pɪte | p:ie | pere | bete [peře] | bete [mbeře] | bere; mbeɾe | bete | pere | biten | biten | phenep |

## Evolution

Dani reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma are:
Grand Valley Dani language:
* ap 'man' < *ambi
* meli 'tongue' < *me(l,n)e
* n-esi 'hair' < *iti[C] (n- is 1sg possessor)
* me(m) 'come' < *me-
* ket 'new' < *kVndak
Western Dani language:
* ap 'man' < *ambi
* (n)iti < *iti[C]
* meli 'tongue' < *me(l,n)e
* get 'new' < *kVndak
* okut 'leg' < *k(a,o)ndok[V]
* kat(lo) 'skin' < *(ŋg,k)a(nd,t)apu
* idu 'tree' < *inda
Ngalik language:
* idu(k)etu 'tree' < *inda
* (nak) amu 'breast' < *amu
* tokon 'full' < *tVkV[ti]
* kopu 'smoke' < *kambu