Aroic languages

Aroic
Torricelli
Geographic
distribution		Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea
Linguistic classificationTorricelli
Subdivisions
Language codes
ISO 639-3tei
Glottologtorr1259
ELPLou
The Torricelli languages as classified by Foley (2018)

The Aroic languages, also known as Aro–Mukweym–Orok or the Torricelli language, constitute a branch of the Torricelli language family. The Aroic languages, which consist of Aro, Mukweym, and Orok, are spoken in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.

Names

Formerly known as the Torricelli language, Drinfield (2024) considers this to be a group of closely related languages rather than as a single language. Since Torricelli is an exonym that is often unknown by the speakers themselves, Aroic (named after one of the languages, Aro) is considered to be a more suitable name by Drinfield (2024).

Languages

Drinfield (2024) lists three languages.

Aro, Mukweym, Orok

Classification

Aro, Mukweym, and Orok are part of the Torricelli language family. While they are closely related and to an extent mutually intelligible, they are considered by native speakers to be distinct languages. Drinfield hypothesizes that they form part of the Kombioic branch of the Kombio-Arapeshan subgroup, along with Eitiep, Aruek, and Kombio.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Drinfeld, Andrey (2024). A Grammar of Aro, a Torricelli language of Papua New Guinea (Ph.D. dissertation). University at Buffalo.
  2. ↑ Drinfield (2024), pg. 8
  3. ↑ Laycock, Donald C. 1973. Sepik Languages: Checklist and Preliminary Classification. (Pacific Linguistics: Series B, 25.) Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University. iv+129+10pp. (Bibliography: p. 59-68).