Mandobo, or Kaeti, is a Papuan language of Mandobo District in Boven Digoel Regency and Ulilin District in Merauke Regency, South Papua, Indonesia.
Varieties Ethnologue distinguishes two languages: Mandobo Bawah, spoken on the Lower Mandobo River Mandobo Atas, spoken on the Upper Mandobo River
However, according to its speaker Mandobo is divided to at least three languages and four dialects.
Upper Mandobo (Mountain Wambon) [aax] Kokenop/Kohonope Agayop Central Mandobo (Coastal Wambon) Ulugela/Lugerah/Iwammup/Kenerame Lower Mandobo (Lower Wambon) [bwp] Tekamerop/Thegamonok
Phonology
Vowels FrontCentralBackCloseiyuMideoOpena
Consonants LabialAlveolarDorsalPlosivevoicelessptkprenasalᵐbⁿdᵑɡNasalmnRhoticɾApproximantwj
Evolution
Below are some Kaeti reflexes of proto-Trans-New Guinea proposed by Pawley (2012), drawn from McElhanon and Voorhoeve (1970).McElhanon, Kenneth A. AND C.L. Voorhoeve. 1970. The Trans–New Guinea Phylum: explorations in deep-level genetic relationships. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
proto-Trans-New Guinea Kaeti *maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’ magot *mVkVm ‘cheek’ (a)moka (cf. Axu moxo pe) *maŋgV ‘compact round object’ (Axu mügo ‘egg’) *amu ‘breast’ am *k(o,u)ma(n,ŋ)[V] ‘neck, nape’ koman *kumV- ‘die’ kün (cf. Sawuy xom-, Wambon N. & Wambon S. kim-) *mVkVm ‘cheek, jaw’ (a)moka ‘cheek’ *na ‘1SG’ nø(p) *ni, *nu ‘1PL free pron.’ no-güp *na- ‘eat’ (Wambon en-) *k(o,u)ma(n,ŋ)[V] ‘neck, nape’ koman *mb(i,u)t(i,u)C ‘fingernail’ betit *imbi ‘name’ üp *apa[pa]ta ‘butterfly’ apap *k(a,o)ndok[V] ‘foot, leg’ kodok *andu- ‘to cook’ odu *mb(i,u)t(i,u)C ‘fingernail’ betit *(ŋg,k)iti-maŋgV ‘eye’ (?) kerop *(mb,p)ututu- ‘to fly’ (?) bere(na) *kumut, *tumuk ‘thunder’ komöt *maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’ magot *ŋga ‘2SG’ gu *maŋgat[a] ‘teeth, mouth’ magot *maŋgV ‘compact round object’ (Axu mügo ‘egg’) *ka(nd,t)(e,i)kV ‘ear’ kere(top) *k(a,o)ndok[V] ‘foot, leg’ kodok *ka(nd,t)apu ‘skin’ kotae *kumbutu ‘wind’ kiow *kin(i,u)- ‘sleep’ kinum *kumV- ‘die’ kün *k(o,u)ma(n,ŋ)[V] ‘neck’ koman *kuya ‘cassowary’ (Sawuy kuye) *kV(mb,p)(i,u)t(i,u) ‘head’ (?) xebia(an) *mVkVm ‘cheek’ (a)moka (cf. Axu moxo pe) *kutV(mb,p)(a,u)[C] ‘long’ (?) guru(op) *ok[V] ‘water’ ok *k(a,o)ndok[V] ‘foot’ kodok
Further reading Jang, Hong-Tae. 2003. Survey report on languages of southeastern foothills in Papua Merauke Regency of Papua, Indonesia. Manuscript. Lebold, Randy, Ronald Kriens and Yunita Susanto. 2013. A Report on the Bamgi, Kia, and Lower Digul River Language Survey in Papua, Indonesia. SIL International.
References
External links Mandobo at the Awyu–Ndumut research group at VU University Amsterdam