Le Maire New Guinea vocabularies

[Ross Clark]

Since my query drew a handful of interested responses, and since the vocabularies aren't very long, I thought I would post them for all to see. 

The reason for all this is that I was recently making some reference, for purposes of a lecture, to the Le Maire Polynesian vocabularies. Almost a century after they were published, Hadrianus Relandus (1706) pointed out their kinship with Malay and Malagasy, thus becoming the first Austronesianist. (The Le Maire vocabularies were _still_ the only information available on Polynesian languages!) In the same essay, Reland also deals with the New Guinea lists, and points out many obvious Austronesian words. 

Incidentally, if you don't have a copy of Reland's essay handy, the relevant passages (in Latin) are reproduced in Karl H.Rensch's _The Language of the Noble Savage_ (Archipelago Press, 2000), pp.313-324.

I thought it would be good to have a clear identification of the languages and any points of interest in the vocabularies. As you may know, in the Polynesian context, one unexpected bit of information that emerged from the modern study of these lists is that the people of Niuatoputapu were not speaking Tongan in 1616, whereas nowadays they do.

Anyhow, here are the lists. I look forward to your comments.

Ross Clark

LE MAIRE NEW GUINEA VOCABULARIES
(taken from Dutch edition by W.A.Engelbrecht & P.J.van Herwerden, Martinus Nijhoff, 1945, pp.135-138.  Dutch glosses very roughly translated by R.Clark)

Speech or language of the coast of New Guinea
[A bay on the east coast of New Ireland]

The King		Latieuw
Coconuts		Lamas
A Hen			Coocq
A Pig			Tembor
Bananas		Tachouner
Hen's eggs		Pasima Coo
Water			Dan, or Daan
Fish			Hissou
Small crabs		Correcor
Betel or Siri leaves	Nomboug Po
Betelnut		Bou
Lime			Camban
Oil			Poom
Beads			Poutai
Iron			Herees
A Knife		Coot
Rattan [?]		Bouo
The Head		Ea
Nose			Nisson
Ears			Talingan
Teeth			Ysang
Forehead		Posson Arongh
Hair 			Nihouge
Hand			Limangh
Feet			Kekeijn
Breasts		Sou sou
Arms			Pong liman
Tongue		Hermangh
Lips			Tabaing vouling
Shoulders		Haliyug
Belly			Balang
Back			Baheing
Finger		Cateling liman
Buttocks		Poutong
Sleep			Heim
Beard			Incam besser
Eat			Nam Nam
Drink			Anda
Jaws or Cheeks	Paring
Throat		Con con Hangh
Reed			Daan
A Chair		Sou
Stones		Coore
Fire			Eef
Land: To Land	Behoul
Fish hook		Iaoul
Pearl shell		Corron Tanborin
Sun			Naas
Moon			Calangh
Stars			Maemetia
Wooden club		Hereris
Turtle		Foun
Bone rings in nose	Iaoull
Elephant's tooth	Tembron bis
String, thread	Calcaloun
The Sea		Taas
Wooden sword	Seel
Earth, or red Earth	Taar
Sand			Coon
Rain			Ous
A sling		Gimmio Halla
A wooden Spear	Mareet
An Arrow		Houvan
Feathers on the Arrow		Tounsiet
Human blood		Daar aug
Pig blood		Daar de rembos
Caps that they wear	Nandikea
A  Canoe		Takoup
To Row or paddle 	Gemoe Haloes
Mountains		Fasser
There is none	Capte andesingim ne aij

One			Tika
Two			Roa
Three			Tola
Four			Fatta
Five			Lima or liman
Six			Wamma
Seven			Fita
Eight			Wala
Nine			Siwa	
Ten			Sangafoula

A Fruit like a small Cufi [?]	Loongh
To wait		Attingam
A name of a prisoner	Tarhar lieuw
I don't know	Kim kabbeling lougtee



Language of the Island of Moyses
[The editors identify this island, east of New Ireland, as Napakur, but it appears on my maps as Tabar]

Yes			Llu
Raw wood		Sagu
Bread			Pouhonnori
Shoulders		Carracerreram
Breasts		Sou sou
Knees			Pou hanking
Eye			Mattanga
Let me see		Matta may
Throat		Comieconnon
Tongue		Caramme
Beard			Parre wourou
Nose			Wansrugo
Bananas		Hiwoundi, taboun
Will come at once Kirrekir
Pig			Cambour
Coconuts		Lamas
We			Tata
Wait, or at once	Alep [columns reversed]

One			Kaou
Two			Roa
Three			Tolou
Four			Wati
Five			Rima
Six			Eno
Seven			Wijtsou
Eight			Ejalou
Nine			Siwa
Ten			Sangapoulo

A hen [?]		Mitoa
Club			Micoura
Iron			Masirim



Language of the Island of Moo, in two degrees [latitude], where the Flitsen were
[editors' footnote: should be Moa] [The editors identify this as being in the Wakdé group (Sobei language)]

Coconuts		Lieu
Bananas		Tandani
Pig			Paro
Water			Nanou
Ginger		Raaij
Fish			Ani
Knife			Koijma
Dog			Aroue
Beads			Sassera
Bone Comb		Marmauw
Iron Nail		Bee
Bread			Sagu
Bread baked in cakes	Soome
Clothing of the women	Maije
Armbands		Sabre
Hand-bow		Partina
Arrows		Bare
Sleep			Moune
Shoot fish		Tineanij
Pig's tooth		Sona
A four-legged animal	Pari-wou
Sun			Arduio
Five			Weer-faut
Completely white bird		Mari [cockatoo]
A yellow root like Curruma	Aou
[editors' footnote - should be Curcuma]
White beads		Sassera  poute
No, no, nothing, nothing	Taop, Taop
Go away		Hoijda
A certain island	Arti

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