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 | — | — | — |
| Tauata | na, nai | nu, nu-i | ome, ome-i | nane, nane-i | nune, nunei | ote, ote-i | |
| III. | Kovio | na | ni | pi | — | — | — |
| Oru-Lopiko | na, naro | ni, niro | pi, piro | dae, daro | ali, alero | valo, valoro | |
| West | Toaripi | ara-o | a-o | are-o | ela-o | e-o | ere-o |
| Namau | na-i | ni-i | u | ene-i | noro | oro | |
| Kiwai | mo | ro | nou | nimo | nigo | nei | |
| North-east, | Binandele | na | imo | owa | kaena, nakare | imomae | owawa |
| East, | Koita | da | a | au | no | yai | yau |
| South-east, | Mailu | ia | ga | noa | gea | aea | omoa |
It is interesting here to note the agreement in the forms of the first and second persons singular, with a wide difference in the other pronouns. Similar words for these two pronouns occur in other Papuan languages as e.g., Kai (Finschhafen) no, Kelana Kai nai, “I,” and Bongu and Bogadjim (Astrolabe Bay), ni, Kelana Kai ne, “thou.”
The widespread use of a suffix, used when the pronoun is emphatic, is noteworthy. The possessive case also is formed as in some other Papuan languages by a suffix added to the root of the pronoun. Cf.—
| My. | Thy. | His. | Our. | Your. | Their. | |
| Fuyuge | nau(le) | nu(le) | u(le) | diu(le) | yu(le) | ta(le) |
| naula(ne) | nula(ne) | ula(ne) | diula(ne) | yula(ne) | tala(ne) | |
| Kambisa | narando | nurando | hurando | — | — | haruando |
| Tauata | neve | nie | omene | nanene | nuvene | otene |
| Kovio | nemai | nimai | pimai | — | — | — |
| Oru-Lopiko | nema | nima | pima | daema | alima | valoma |
| Toaripi | arave | ave | areve | elave | eve | ereve |
| Binandele | nato | ito | ounda, owanda | kaenato | itomane | omida |
Sometimes the simple form of the pronoun is prefixed to the noun in Tauata to indicate the possessive, as in Namau and Koita. Tauata na ate, Koita di omote, Namau, na uku, “my head.”
The numerals also show great differences. As far as “three” they appear as follows:
| Fuyuge. | Korona. | Sikitbe. | Afoa. | Tauata. | Kovio. | Oru Lopiko. | |
| 1. | fida(ne) | fida(ne) | fidana | koane | kone | uniuni | konepu |
| 2. | gegeto | gegeda | iuara | atolowai | atoloai | karaala | kalotolo |
| 3. | gegeto m’inaa | gegeda-fidane | iuara-minda | atolowai-itime | atoloai-laina | naralavievi-napuevi | konekhalavi |
Some of these words have other meanings. Thus Fuyuge 2, gegeto is given also as “few.” In Tauata 1, kone duplicated as konekone is “few,” whilst onioni, means “alone.” In Oru Lopiko 1, konepu compares with onionipu, “few.”
These numerals are all different from Mailu, Koita, Binandele, Toaripi and Namau.
| Mailu. | Koita. | Binandele. | Toaripi. | Namau. | Kiwai. | |
| 1. | omu | kobua, igagu | da | farakeka | monou | nao |
| 2. | ava | abu | tote | orakoria | morere | netowa. |
| 3. | aiseri | abi-gaga | tamonde | oroisoria | morere-monou | netowa-naobi |
The vocabulary shows very few agreements, and there is very little evidence in support of a connection of any one of these dialects with its neighbours. The following correspondences may be purely accidental.
Bamboo. Afoa, ila; Namau, ina.
Banana. Korona, haba; Iworo, sabari.
Barter. Afoa, tavatava; Toaripi, tavatava.
Belly. Oru Lop., data; Sogeri, Koiari, detu.
Black. Fuyuge, dube, duba; Neneba, aduve; Koiari, Koita, dubu.
Blood. Fuyuge, tana; Koiari, Koita, tago.
Bone. Fuyuge, fude, &c.; Toaripi, uti.
Child. Fuyuge, me(le); Binandele, mai; Berepo, me.
Fuyuge, isia; Kambisa, isa; Ubere, esi; Neneba, eche.
Coconut. Kambisa, bao; Koiari, bagha.
Crocodile. Fuyuge, fua, fuai; Koiari, fuie.
Dig. Fuyuge, etsia; Toaripi, isei.
Dog. Fuyuge, oi, ho; Agi, Ubere, o; Koiari, &c., to.
Eat, Drink. Fuyuge, na, nene; Namau, na.
Fire. Tauata, ena; Koiari, vene; Koita, veni.
Foot. Fuyuge, &c., soge, suga; Amara, joka.
Male. Tauata, mu; Toaripi, mo. Oru Lopiko, vitapu; Toaripi, vita.
Man. Fuyuge a(ne); Neneba, ana; Koiari, Koita, ata.
Mother. Oru Lopiko, Kovio, nei, Uberi, neia; Koita, neina; Tauata; ine; Koiari, ine.
Pig. Kambisa, sika; Musa River, siko.
Fuyuge, avo; Koiari, ofo; Koita, oho.
Rope. Fuyuge, konange; Gosisi, goda; Koiari, Koita,gote.
Salt. Fuyuge, ama(ne); Neneba, Iworo, amani.
Taro. Fuyuge, &c., munde, muda; Neneba, muda.
Tree. Fuyuge, i, iye; Kovio, ida; Koiari, Koita, idi.
Water. Fuyuge, &c., yu; Afoa, i(pe); Neneba, ei; Ubere, e.
Woman. Fuyuge, amu; Iworo, Neneba, amuro, wife.