ˈɑːɹ. ˈɛm. dˈʌbəljˌuː. dˈɪksən tˈuː θˈaʊzənd tˈuː ɹᵻɡˈɑːɹdz klˈeɪmz əvɚ ɹᵻlˈeɪʃənʃˌɪp bᵻtwˌiːn ðə flˈaɪ ɹˈɪvɚ lˈæŋɡwɪdʒᵻz ænd mˈɪɹiˌæm æz ʌnpɹˈuːvən, ðˌoʊ wʌt hiː bˈeɪsᵻz hɪz klˈeɪm ˌɔn ɪz nˌɑːt klˈɪɹ, æz mˈɪɹiˌæm mˈɪɹ hɐz ɐ hˈaɪ kˈɑːɡnəsi ɹˈeɪt wɪð ɪts sˈɪstɚ lˈæŋɡwɪdʒᵻz, ænd ɐ sˈɜːʔn̩ ɐmˈaʊnt ʌv mjˈuːtʃuːəl ɪntˌɛlɪdʒəbˈɪlᵻɾi ɪz klˈeɪmd baɪ mˈɪɹiˌæm spˈiːkɚz.
R. M. W. Dixon (2002) regards claims of a relationship between the Fly River languages and Meriam as unproven, though what he bases his claim on is not clear, as Meriam Mir has a high cognacy rate with its sister languages, and a certain amount of mutual intelligibility is claimed by Meriam speakers.