Language history and contact in northeast New Guinea

• Applicant: Dr. Edgar Suter
• Subject Area: General and Comparative Linguistics, Experimental Linguistics, Typology, Non-European Languages
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 501078823

This project aims at the reconstruction of the shared vocabulary of the Huon Peninsula languages and at establishing the sound correspondences between these 21 languages. Furthermore, three studies building on the existing comparative morphology are planned: A comparative study of the benefactive constructions and their relationship to the purposive case. A diachronic study of the causative compounds of the Huon Tip languages and their comparison with verbs with instrumental prefixes in Native North American languages. And a study of the effects of contact with neighboring Austronesian languages on the grammar of the Huon Peninsula language Kovai.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants