Reimer notes two dialects, one on the Balim River and one on the Rekai. One of the differences is that when /u/ follows an /u/ or /o/ in the Balim dialect, it is /i/ in the Rekai dialect. Thus the ethnonym 'Momuna' is pronounced 'Momina' in Rekai dialect.[3]
Classification[]
The Somahai pronouns, singular *na, *ka, *mo, are typical of Trans–New Guinea languages. They were placed in the Central and South New Guinea branch of that family by Wurm. Ross could not locate enough evidence to classify them. Usher found them to be closest to the Mek languages, in the Central West New Guinea, which partially overlaps with Wurm's C&SNG.
Vocabulary[]
The following basic vocabulary words of Momuna are from Voorhoeve (1975),[4] as cited in the Trans-New Guinea database:[5][6]
gloss
Momuna
head
toko
hair
toko-ate
eye
otu
tooth
ija
leg
i jo-ku
louse
amega
dog
kwoka
pig
uwo
egg
magisaga
blood
janɨ
bone
toko
skin
ke
tree
kwo
man
mogo-mearu
sun
ɨkɨ
water
iŋga
fire
kukwa
stone
kɨ
eat
nowa-
further reading[]
Reimer, Martha. 1986. The notion of topic in Momuna narrative discourse. 181–204. Pacific Linguistics A-74. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
References[]
^Momuna at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required) Momina at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
^Voorhoeve, C.L. Languages of Irian Jaya: Checklist. Preliminary classification, language maps, wordlists. B-31, iv + 133 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1975. doi:10.15144/PL-B31
^Voorhoeve, C.L., 1975. Languages of Irian Jaya Checklist, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
Ross, Malcolm (2005). "Pronouns as a preliminary diagnostic for grouping Papuan languages". In Andrew Pawley; Robert Attenborough; Robin Hide; Jack Golson (eds.). Papuan pasts: cultural, linguistic and biological histories of Papuan-speaking peoples. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. pp. 15–66. ISBN0858835622. OCLC67292782.