The Inland Gulf languages are a family of Trans–New Guinea languages in the classifications of Stephen Wurm (1975) and Malcolm Ross (2005). The unity of the languages was established by K. Franklin in 1969. Although the family as a whole is clearly valid, Ipiko is quite distinct from the other languages.
Languages Inland Gulf family Ipiko language Minanibai branch: Minanibai (Foia Foia), Mubami (Tao), Ukusi-Koparamio Hoia Hoia – Matakaia Hoia Hoia
Karami was once included, due to a large number of loanwords from Minanibai, but is best left unclassified for now.
Mahigi is also included by Pawley and Hammarström (2018).
Phonemes Usher (2020) reconstructs the consonant inventory as follows:New Guinea World, Inland Gulf
| *m || *n || || |- | *p || *t || || *k |- | *b || *d || || *g |- | *ɸ || *s || || |- | *w || [*ɾ] || *j || *ɣ̃ |} Vowels are *a *e *i *o *u.
Pronouns The pronouns are:
! !!sg!!pl |- !1 |*no||*ni |- !2 |*ɣ̃o||*jo |- !3m |*ete||rowspan=2|*eti |- !3f |*etu
Evolution Inland Gulf reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea (pTNG) etyma:
Hoia Hoia, Mubami, Ipiko de ‘tree’ < *inda Hoia Hoia mo’noto, Ipiko manoto ‘mouth’ < *maŋgat[a] ‘mouth, teeth’ Mubami mo’moʔo, Hoiahoia mo’mo:ko ‘seed’ < *maŋgV
References
External links Timothy Usher, New Guinea World, Proto–Inland Gulf