A Comprehensive Comparison of Lexemes in the ... - SIL International

13
(10) show-off N
Kwamera: yemamso
Lenakel: yausit
N Tanna: yausit
SW Tanna: yamso
Vaha: yamso
Whitesands: —
Another example is the lexemes for ‘be skinny’ and ‘be malnourished’ in
example (11). The entries for ‘be skinny’ look dissimilar because it seems Tanna’s
historical lexicon had two nearly synonymous entries, əkiriao and əvirɨg.
Informants from Kwamera, SW Tanna, Vaha and Whitesands were able to
dinstinguish between the two synonyms, but informants from Lenakel and N
Tanna employ avilɨg for both.
(11) skinny, be V/A malnourished, be V/A
Kwamera: əkiriao Kwamera: əvirɨg
Lenakel: aviləg Lenakel: avilɨg
N Tanna: avilɨg N Tanna: avilɨg
SW Tanna: əkiriao SW Tanna: əvirɨg
Vaha: əkilus Vaha: əvilɨg
Whitesands: akilkili Whitesands: avilɨg
Also, as shown in example (12), Lenakel, SW Tanna, and Vaha have both a
noun ‘hunger’ and a verb ‘be hungry,’ while Kwamera, N Tanna, and Whitesands
have only the noun ’hunger.’ If the linguist discovers only the nominal form, it
will appear that all the lexemes are cognates. If the linguist discovers only the
verbal form, the results are not cognates, because the informants of Kwamera, N
Tanna, and Whitesands will give the noun, whereas informants of Lenakel, SW
Tanna, and Vaha will give the verb.
(12) hunger; famine; tuberculosis N hungry, be V/A
PSV *na-(t,v)umwac 5 PSV *atolV 6
Kwamera: nukumhə Kwamera: swei ramousi [OBJ]
Lenakel: nəumɨs Lenakel: əmek
N Tanna: nəumɨs N Tanna: sweiwei tatoh [OBJ]
SW Tanna: nɨkumhə SW Tanna: əmkərəv
Vaha: nɨkumɨs Vaha: əmkələv
Whitesands: nəumɨs Whitesands: sweiwei tatuh [OBJ]
5 From Lynch (2001:307).
6 From Lynch (2001:307). Note that the V in *atolV indicates that “a vowel was present but there’s no
evidence present as to which vowel it was” (Lynch 2001:11).