Reconstruction:Proto-Halmahera-Cenderawasih/ʀobak

This Proto-Halmahera-Cenderawasih entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Halmahera-Cenderawasih

Alternative reconstructions

(Arnold 2025) *ʀopak

Etymology

From Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *ʀobək, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *ʀəbək, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *ʀəbək. Arnold (2025) reconstructs *ʀopak, but this fails to explain the b in the Biga and Cenderawasih Bay reflexes.

Verb

*ʀobak

to fly

Descendants

>? Waropen: roko, rorako
Cenderawasih Bay:
- Biakic:
  - Biak: riob, rov
  - Roon: riob
- Yapen:
  - Central-Western:
    - Central:
      - Pom: riova, rowa
      - Munggui: rioba
  - Eastern:
    - Wabo: dowa
Raja Ampat–South Halmahera: *oba, *-ˈopak (Arnold 2025)
- Waigeo: l-apo
- Biga: l-obo
- Maden: l-op
- As: napɔ
- Maˈya-Matbat:
  - Ma'ya:
    Ma'ya: ˈw-opo¹², ˈw-opo³
    
    Kawe: ˈw-op[o]
    
    Legenyem: ˈw-op[o]
    
    Wauyai: ˈw-op[o]
- South Halmahera:
  - Gebe: -opo
  - Central-Eastern:
    - Buli (Indonesia): opa
    - Patani: opo
    - Sawai: n-opɛ
  - Southern:
    - Gane: opa
    - Taba: nopa, opa

References

Arnold, Laura (2025). The Diachrony of Word Prosody in the Maˈya-Salawati Languages of Raja Ampat. Oceanic Linguistics: University of Hawai'i Press.

References