from a Fuyuge native who spoke
Afoa fluently. Dr. Strong also obtained a short vocabulary from a
native who came from a village apparently on the slopes of Mount
Davidson. The language is substantially the same as the Tauata or
Tauatape of which Rev. Father Egedi has published a Vocabulary and
Grammar. [188] There are, however, a few slight differences which
seem to confirm Father Egedi's statement that there is probably a
difference of pronunciation in the various Afoa villages. [189] Father
Egedi writes: _p, v, k, t, l, ts_ where Dr. Strong has: _b, w, g, d, r,
t_. The latter also has final _i_ for _e_, _oa_ for _a_ or _o_, _ia_
for _ea_, _u_ for _oi_ _ai_ for _ei_. Sometimes _b_ represents _m_
or _v_. Some of Dr. Strong's words show marks of Afoa grammar, as,
_e.g._, the words for eat, see, sit, give, head, husband or wife,
mother, are: _na nai_, I eat; _na nu kava_, I thee see; _na navi_,
I sit; _nu inie_, thou givest; _ni adi_, your head; _omen iva_, his
wife or her husband; _aumen ini_, his mother. The Tauata words are
added to the Afoa Vocabulary in square brackets.

3. Kovio.--The language called Kovio by Dr. Strong is substantially
the same as the Oru Lopiko of Rev. Father Egedi. [190] The same or
a similar language is said to be found in four places, viz.--

1. Lopiko in the Inava valley.
2. Inavarene in the Inava valley.
3. Kwoifa district on upper Lakekamu River.
4. Villages round Pic Eleia.

Details of these dialects are not given.

SECTION II

II. Comparison.

The three groups of languages illustrated in these vocabularies
present the usual Papuan characteristics of great differences. A
certain amount of resemblance may be found in some of the pronouns,
and possibly in a few other words, but generally speaking the languages
are not only quite unconnected with each other, but are also distinct
from the known Papuan languages surrounding them.

I. Thou. He. We. You. They.
I. Fuyuge na, nani nu, nuni u, uni di, dini yi, yini tu, tuni
Kambisa na nu u -- -- ha-ru
Sikube na-nio nu-ni -- -- -- --
Kabana nau -- -- -- -- --
II. Afoa na nu-i ome --