# Ok languages

The Ok languages are a family of about a dozen related Trans–New Guinea languages spoken in a contiguous area of eastern Irian Jaya and western Papua New Guinea. The most numerous language is Ngalum, with some 20,000 speakers; the best known is probably Telefol.
The Ok languages have dyadic kinship terms.

## History of classification

The Ok languages are clearly related. Alan Healey identified them as a family in 1962. He later noted connections with the Asmat languages and Awyu–Dumut families (Healey 1970).
Voorhoeve developed this into a Central and South New Guinea (CSNG) proposal. As part of CSNG, the Ok languages form part of the original proposal for Trans–New Guinea, a position tentatively maintained by Malcolm Ross, though reduced nearly to Healey's original conception. Ross states that he cannot tell if the similarities in CSNG are shared innovations or retentions from proto-TNG. Voorhoeve argues specifically for an Awyu–Ok relationship, and Foley believes that these two families may be closest to Asmat among the TNG languages.
Loughnane and Fedden (2011) claim to have demonstrated that the erstwhile TNG isolate Oksapmin is related to the Ok family. However, this has not been generally accepted because loans from Mountain Ok have not been accounted for.
Van den Heuvel & Fedden (2014) argue that Greater Awyu and Greater Ok are not genetically related, but that their similarities are due to intensive contact.

## Languages

The languages are:
* Ok
** West Ok: Kopkaka (incl. Kwer–Burumakok)
** Ngalum
** Central Ok: Tangko, Nakai–Naki
** Lowland Ok: Iwur–Koma, Muyu–Yonggom, Ninggerum
** Mountain Ok (Min)
*** Mian (incl. Suganga)
*** Central Mountain Ok: Tifal, Telefol (incl. Urap)
*** South Mountain Ok: Bin, Faiwol (incl. Kauwol, Setaman)

## Reconstruction
### Phonology

The following are consonants of Proto-Ok:
Consonants :
| | | Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Velar |
| | | Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | plain | labialized |
| Nasal | Nasal | *m | *n | | | |
| Plosive | plain | *p | *t | | *k | *kʷ |
| Plosive | prenasalized | *ᵐb | *ⁿd | *ⁿdz | *ᵑɡ | *ᵑɡʷ |
| Fricative | Fricative | | *s | | | |
| Semivowel | Semivowel | *w | | *j | | |
| Rhotic | Rhotic | | *ɾ | | | |
Vowels may be /*iː *ʉ *uː *e *a *o/, but this reconstruction may be biased toward Telefol.

### Pronouns

Healey & Ross reconstruct the pronouns of proto-Ok are as follows:
    m.sgf.sgpl 1 *na-*nu[b], *ni[b] 2 *ka-b-*ku-b-*ki[b] 3 *ya*yu*[y]i
Usher (2020) reconstructs the independent pronouns as,
    m.sgf.sgpl 1ex *ne*nu 1in *nu-p 2 *ke-p*ku-p*ki-p 3 *e*u*i [3pl.in *i-p]
and the subject suffixes as,
    m.sgf.sgpl 1 *-i*-up 2 *-ep*-ip 3 *-e/*-o*-u

### Evolution

Proto-Mountain Ok reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma, as quoted by Pawley & Hammarström (2018) from Healey (1964):
* *beːn ‘arm’ < *mbena
* *mburuŋ ‘fingernail’ < *mb(i,u)t(i,u)C
* *katuun ‘knee’ < *(ng,k)atVk
* *maŋkat ‘mouth’ < *maŋgat[a]
* *gitak ‘neck’ < *k(a,e)ndak
* *kum ‘side of neck’ < *kuma(n,ŋ)
* *mutuum ‘nose’ < *mundu
* *falaŋ ‘tongue’ < *mbilaŋ
* *kaliim ‘moon’ < *kal(a,i)m

### Lexicon
#### Usher (2020)

Some lexical reconstructions by Usher (2020) are:
    glossProto-OkProto-West OkNgalumProto-Central OkProto-Lowland OkProto-Mountain Ok head *ambo[t]*amb[o/u][t]*ambo*ŋgambɔːm hair/feather *kam[y][ː]R*kamukamil*kep*kami ? *karíːm (metathesis) ear *kindoːŋg*kireŋgsiroŋ*kiroŋg*kende*kìroːŋ eye *kiː[n/nd][i]*k[i]risir*kit*kin(-jop)*kìːn nose *mitoR*metemisol*m[i]t[o]*mitu*mít tooth *niːŋgiRniŋil*niŋgi*niŋgi*níːŋg tongue *poːŋg; *pir[a/o]ŋg*[p]iraŋgaploŋ*poŋg*poŋg*póːŋg; *piráŋg foot/leg *j[aː/oː]n*janjon*jon*jon*jàːn blood/red *r[aː/eː]mlam*jam*rèːm bone *kundo[ː]R*kurokulol*koro*kondo*kún skin *kaːnd*katkal*kat*kar*kàːr breast *muːk*mukmuk*muk*muk*múːk louse *kuwimb*k[uwi]psip*kuwip*kuwim*kìm dog *ano[ː]n*anananon*anon*anon*majaːn pig *kowaŋg*kuwoŋgkaŋ*koŋg*kowaŋg*k[àː/òː]ŋg bird *n[a/o][ː]r[t]*no[r]tnal*noe*on*awɔːn egg *windin*winwirin*wirin*windi*wín tree/fire *andz*aa*a*ar (? *andz)*às man *ka-tup woman *wVnVŋgwanaŋ*kur 'woman/wife'*w[o]noŋg*wàn[é/á]ŋg sun *at[aː/oː]n*atanaton*at[a/o]n*aton*átàːn moon *wakor*ukotukol*ukoe*w[o]kor*wàkár water *oːk*okok*ok*ok*òːk fire/spark *asi[n/ŋg]*asinasiŋg*asi[n/ŋg]*awop*weⁱŋg 'fire' stone *tuːm*tumtum*tum*tum*túːm path *[nd/j][y]jip*ɾeⁱp name *[a]niŋg[o]R; *wini*iniŋgniŋil*wini*[a]niŋgo*wín eat *en- 'eat/drink'*ane-*wan 'eat/drink' one *muwim 'one/all'*mowim two *pajop, *[p]aɾop*asʉ; *aɾe̞ːp

#### Loughnane and Fedden (2011)

Proto-Ok-Oksapmin reconstructions from Loughnane and Fedden (2011):
    glossproto-Ok-Oksapmin appetizer*imin arrow type*(w)Vn; *xanaat ashes*kip ask*daxa at (place)*kal and, with*soo bandicoot variety*kajaal bat variety*jVwVm be, stay*p(iː); *(i)n bird-of-paradise*xoloom bird variety*aleem; *ilnem blood*xeim blunt (of e.g. knife)*fiim break, dislocate (bone)*doxo burn / light fire*xVl casuarina tree*dVtVp chest (bone)*tVVb cockroach*tanoom cold*giil collar bone*kʷiŋ crumbs*bVVl cucumber*kimVd cut (hair), shave (hair)*pida- dirty (of water)*miim do / make*xV- dog*mVjaan domestic pig*kVŋ down, below*daak dry*xV(V)x eagle, eagle variety*boxVl emphatic pronoun marker*-xVp enemy*maxaw enough*kii excrement*Vl eye*kiin fern*abal fish*aniiŋ frog variety*siilsiil fruit*dVm garden*(i)laŋ greedy, selfish*ilek headman, leader*kVmoxVm heart*bVpVl heavy*iluum hornbill*xawel house post*(V)bVk husk (of nut)*(w)VVm in, hole*tem itchy*abaalabaal kidney*gV(V)l(V)(p) knee*katVVn kookaburra*k(V)lVx light (weight)*fVVŋ little finger*xatxat magic*kusem molar / tooth*aga(k) moon*kajoop mosquito*gimgim name*win nasal mucus*iin neck, throat*gʷel needle*sVl nettle variety*waan nose*(mu)duum no!*bV(V)s(V) old*pVsel pancreas*kʷVVn part of floor*dixim penis*eit point, tip*puut poor*bVlVp possum variety*sopim pregnant*gVpVn pronged bird arrow*geim pus*isax rain shower*sox roundworm*kasen salt (traded from Oksapmin)*eip same as, like*tap seedling / plant / container*san sharp*atVl fed up with*gaal sit with feet and legs together*goptV(V) small mammal*nVVg snake / snake variety*inap sorcery*kimon spark*tVtup squash*sof(l)it; *sVko story*saŋ sugarcane*kʷeit sun*ataan sweet, tasty*xabaal taboo*awem temporary*(ka)kuun thin*daŋ tobacco*suux tongue*fV(lV)ŋ top / bottom of taro*dVm trap*abil self, reflexive*xol urine*imaan vein*mamel vomit*usaan warm*mVmVn wasp*VVm white cockatoo*nama wild pig*saamVVn wind*inim yellow*xop; *kitax child*mVVn father.1POSS1*at(umon) father.3POSS*VVlap in-law.1POSS*baad man's sister*bVVp uncle.1POSS*mV(V)m(ein) younger brother*VnVVŋ husband and wife*agam mother and children*Vbdil