Melanau-Kajang_languages

Melanau–Kajang languages

Melanau–Kajang languages

Subgroup of the Austronesian language family

The Melanau–Kajang languages or Central Sarawak languages are a group of languages spoken in Kalimantan, Indonesia and Sarawak, Malaysia by the Kenyah, Melanau and related peoples.

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Classification

Smith (2017)

Smith (2017)[1] uses the term Central Sarawak, and puts it as an independent branch within the Greater North Borneo subgroup. He classifies the languages as follows.

Austroasiatic influence

Kaufman (2018) notes that many Proto-Central Sarawak words (Smith 2017) are of likely Austroasiatic origin, including the following (Note: The Austroasiatic branch reconstructions are from Paul Sidwell's reconstructions; Proto-Pearic is from Headley (1985)[2]).[3]

  • *siaw ‘chicken’ (cf. Proto-Khasic *sʔiar; Proto-Khmuic *(s)ʔiər)
  • *tilaŋ ‘tiger leech’ (cf. Proto-Katuic *ɟləəŋ)
  • *(ə)liŋ ‘saliva’

Proto-Kajang words of likely Austroasiatic origin:

  • *diə̯k ‘chicken’ (cf. Proto-Pearic *hlɛːk)
  • *(u)bəl ‘mute’ (cf. Proto-Bahnaric *kmlɔː)

Proto-Müller-Schwaner words of likely Austroasiatic origin:

  • *ənap ‘fish scale’

References

  1. [1]
    Smith, Alexander. 2017. The Languages of Borneo: A Comprehensive Classification. PhD Dissertation: University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
  2. [2]
    Headley, Robert K. 1985. "Proto-Pearic and the classification of Pearic." In Suriya Ratanakult et al. (eds.), Southeast Asian Linguistic Studies Presented to Andre-G. Haudricourt. Institute of Language and Culture for Rural Development, Mahidol University. pp. 428-478.
  3. [3]
    Kaufman, Daniel. 2018. Between mainland and island Southeast Asia: Evidence for a Mon-Khmer presence in Borneo. Ronald and Janette Gatty Lecture Series. Kahin Center for Advanced Research on Southeast Asia, Cornell University. (handout / slides)
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