# Sogeram languages

The Sogeram languages are a family of languages in the Madang stock of New Guinea. They are named after the Sogeram River.
In earlier classifications, such as that of Wurm, most of the Sogeram family were called "Wanang", after the Wanang River. The exceptions were Faita, placed as a separate branch of the Southern Adelbert languages, and Mum–Sirva (then called the "Sikan" family), which were classified with the other branch, Josephstaal (Tomul River).

## Languages

Daniels (2016) classifies the Sogeram languages in three branches, including some recently documented languages.

### Sogeram

* West Sogeram (Wurm et al's "Atan" family)
** Mand
** Nend
* Central Segeram
** Manat
** Apalɨ
** North Central Sogeram (Sikan): Mum, Sirva
* "East" Sogeram
** Gants
** Kursav
** Aisian: Magɨ, Aisi
Daniels (2017), following Pawley, resolves the issue of Gants by classifying it as East Sogeram, closest to Kursav though he refrains from claiming the two languages form a clade. He notes that the name "East Sogeram" is no longer geographically appropriate, as Gants would be the westernmost Sogeram language.
Recently discovered Magɨyi may also be a Sogeram language, with the forms of identified cognates closest to Mum.
Because these languages form a chain, where each influences its neighbors, the branching of the family is not clear. Usher divides the languages in nearly the same way, differing only in the placement of Manat:
* Sogeram River
** West Sogeram River
*** Atemple–Nend: Atemble (Atemple, Mand), Nend (Angaua)
*** Paynamar (Manat)
** Central Sogeram River
*** Apali (Emerum)
*** Mum–Sirva: Mum (Katiati), Sileibi (Sirva)
** South Sogeram River
*** Faita (Kulsab/Kursav)
*** Gants
*** Musak (Aisi)

### Names

Below are Sogeram language names in Daniels (2015) compared to names listed in Z'graggen (1975), along with their respective meanings.$^{:6}$
| Daniels (2015) | meaning | Z'graggen (1975) | meaning |
| Mand | ‘no’ | Atemple | village name |
| Nend | ‘no’ | Angaua | demonym |
| Manat | ‘no’ | Paynamar | village name |
| Apalɨ | ‘no’ | Emerum | village name |
| Mum | ‘what’ | Katiati | village name |
| Sirva | language name | Sileibi | village name? |
| Magɨ | ‘no’ | | |
| Aisi (Mabɨŋ) | ‘why (no)’ | Musak | village name |
| Kursav | language name | Faita | village name |
| Gants | language name | Gants | language name |

## Proto-language

A phonological reconstruction of Proto-Sogeram has been proposed by Daniels (2015).

### Phonology

Proto-Sogeram phonemic inventory according to Daniels (2015):$^{:55}$
| *p | *t | | *k |
| *β <v> | *s | | |
| *m | *n | *ɲ <ñ> | *ŋ |
| | *r | | |
| *i | *ɨ | *u |
| | *a | |

### Pronouns

Daniels (2017) reconstructs the pronouns as follows:
| | sg | pl |
| 1 | *ya | *a-ra |
| 2 | *na | *na-ra |
| 3 | *nu/*nɨ | *nɨ-ra |
Compare Ross's proto-Madang singular pronouns *ya, *na, *nu/*ua.

### Lexicon

Selected lexical reconstructions from Daniels (2015) are listed below.$^{:360–392}$
Plant names :
| Proto-Sogeram | Gloss | Scientific name |
| *akwasa | betelnut | Areca catechu |
| *kari | betelnut | Areca catechu |
| *kasam | breadfruit | Artocarpus altilis |
| *kuimaŋ | coconut | Cocos nucifera |
| *mirkwa | cordyline | Cordyline fruticosa |
| *kunsa | yam | Dioscorea sp. |
| *mɨnta | sword grass | Imperata cylindrica |
| *mimpɨŋ | ironwood tree | Intsia bijuga |
| *makin | sago | Metroxylon sp. |
| *manɨŋ | banana | Musa sp. |
| *kamura | betel pepper | Piper betle |
| *akɨru | sugar | Saccharum officinarum |
| *sakai | bamboo | |
| *umai | bean | |
| *kɨñakw | paint tree | |
| *sukan | reed sp. | |
Animal names :
| Proto-Sogeram | Gloss | Scientific name |
| *kɨñakuŋ | wattled brush-turkey | Aepypodius arfakianus |
| *siar | starling | Aplonis sp. |
| *kaiaŋki | sulphur-crested cockatoo | Cacatua galerita |
| *muiam | cassowary | Casuarius unappendiculatus |
| *ikakara | chicken | Gallus gallus |
| *kumpin | Victoria crowned pigeon | Goura victoria |
| *kwɨñaŋ | palm cockatoo | Probosciger aterrimus |
| *kukɨ | sago grub | Rhynchophorus ferrugineus |
| *aŋam | collared brush-turkey | Talegalla jobiensis |
| *kuyiv | bird-of-paradise | Paradisaeidae |
| *kariv | flying fox | Pteropus |
| *iŋkɨn | ground possum | Phalangeridae |
| *muŋmi | bee | |
| *kapa | bird | |
| *apapara | butterfly | |
| *kuntar | centipede | |
| *mavra | crocodile | |
| *upri | dog | |
| *kɨmparam | eel | |
| *iau | fish | |
| *kukasa | frog | |
| *naŋram | frog | |
| *iman | louse | |
| *kamɨŋaua | millipede | |
| *ñaŋkur | mosquito | |
| *iran | parrot species | |
| *urir | parrot species | |
| *sampaN | pig | |
| *sar | snake | |
| *takwɨ | snake | |

### Comparisons

The following is a comparative table of reconstructed forms in Proto-Sogeram and Proto-Northern Adelbert.$^{:472}$
| gloss | Proto-Sogeram | Proto-Northern Adelbert |
| breast | *aman ‘breast’ | *men ‘breast’ |
| cook in pot | *imu ‘put in pot’ | *im- ‘boil, cook in pot’ |
| see | *iŋka ‘see, perceive’ | *ag- ‘see’ |
| turn | *ir, irɨ- ‘turn, spin’ | *girik- ‘turn’ |
| fight | *kira ‘fight’ | *war- ‘hit, fight’ |
| bow | *kɨmi ‘bow’ | *kemi ‘bow’ |
| die | *kɨmu ‘die’ | *um- ‘die’ |
| walk, go | *kɨnta ‘walk’ | *iduw- ‘go’ |
| root | *kɨntɨr ‘root’ | *durun ‘root’ |
| roast | *kra ‘roast’ | *id- ‘roast’ |
| arm, hand | *kuman ‘arm, hand’ | *waben ‘arm, hand’ |
| centipede | *kuntar ‘centipede’ | *wisir ‘centipede’ |
| egg | *maŋka ‘egg’ | *munag ‘egg’ |
| husband | *-mum ‘husband’ | *muŋ ‘husband, man’ |
| eat | *ña ‘eat’ | *an- ‘eat’ |
| heavy, weight | *pɨm ‘weight’ | *bin ‘heavy’ |
| snake | *takwɨ ‘snake’ | *duag ‘snake’ |
| heart, liver | *umpaŋ ‘heart’ | *gemaŋ ‘liver’ |
| call | *ura ‘call out’ | *par- ‘call’ |