Talking about space in Koromu, a Trans New Guinea language

Abstract

Koromu is a Madang language of the Trans New Guinea group spoken in south-east Madang Province. Koromu speakers live in the valley at about 170 metres above sea level. The villages are on both sides of the Ramu River between the high mountains of the Bismarck and Finisterre Ranges. When talking about space in Koromu people use absolute and intrinsic frames of reference (Levinson 1996:10, 2003:38) either separately or combined (2003:38). Terms in the intrinsic system vary in relation to the characteristics of specific referents. The absolute reference system is elevation based and 'corresponds to features of the external world' (Palmer 2004:16). This paper examines these systems and the local nouns, the locatives and motion-path verbs which play an important part in them.