Kate Monk's Onomastikon

(Dictionary of Names)

Papua New Guinea

Capital : Port Moresby

History

First contact was made with many of the highland tribes by the Leahy brothers, Australian gold prospectors, in the 1930s. The coastal areas had been claimed by the Dutch, Germans and Australians but this colonial control only extended for between ten and forty miles inland. It was assumed that the two huge parallel mountain ranges which ran the whole length of the island were one solid mass that could not possibly be inhabited. The political borders drawn across them went through areas that nobody from outside had ever seen. The highlanders lived in a series of fertile valleys in the plateau between the ranges. There were large numbers of separate tribes and languages due to the difficult terrain which made even journeys of Ten miles dangerous but tribal cultures were broadly similar. Inland exploration by the Australians took place as a result of the discovery of large deposits of gold in Edie Creek, just thirty-five miles inland.

Coastal Regions
Waria

These were the 'policemen' who accompanied the Leahy brothers on their expeditions. Some of them were 'recognised' by the highlanders as being dead relatives returning.

Male

Barunoma	Buassi	Ewunga Goiba	Gesupo	Korpore	Lowai
Owa	Subul	Towa Ulta	Tupia Osiro	Yasa

Female

Rossa

Surnames

Akia	Ali	Babo	Enuma	Maira	Nuia
Pulu	Wakit

Eastern Highlands

Asaro River/Goroka Valley

Male

Agolave	Endemongo	Gasowe	Gavey Akamo
Gopie Ataiamelaho	Isakoa Hepu	Jokuri Hari	Kainaro Kravia
Kepagane Peone	Khaswaho Baito Heiro	Kirupano Eza'e	Kize Kize Obaneso
Koin	Kombagle	Koritoia Ope	Kumi Kispe
Nonggorr	Okame	Ot	Pal
Pena	Peng	Pok	Pora
Pupun	Seriate	Sinamoi	Sole Sole
Ulaline	Vojavona	Wera Mori	Yanopa Kai

Female

Sirizo

Yerema

Chimbu

Male

Gaima Yokumul	Gerigl Gande	Kaglnogl	Kimba Kopol	Kondon Agaundo
Konia Taglba	Kopia Kerika Kubal	Korul Korul	Kumai Kana	Mirani Gena
Onguglo Komugl	Ulka Wena

Female

Aglem Ter

Western Highlands

The Tribes often consisted of several separate clans. A man was identified by name as a member of a tribe, a member of a clan and then by his own personal name. Thus, Ndika Mukuka Wingti - Wingti, from the Mukuka of the Ndika Tribe. The same system was used by women with the addition of Amp (woman) : Mokei Nambuka Amp Nemong.