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Wikipedia / Kenyah languages

The Kenyah languages are a group of half a dozen or so closely related languages spoken by the Kenyah peoples of Borneo. They are:

  1. Kenyah proper (a dialect cluster, including Madang), Sebob, Tutoh (Long Wat), Wahau Kenyah, Uma’ Lung / Uma’ Lasan.

Ethnologue says that the Punan–Nibong languages are related to Uma’ Lasan, Glottolog that they are outside the Kenyah languages.

Classification

Soriente (2008) proposes a Kayan-Kenyah grouping.

Proto–Kayan-Kenyah

Kenyah

Penan

Kayanic

However, Smith (2015) rejects Soriente's grouping, and argues that Kenyah and Kayan are separate groups. Smith (2015) proposes the following classification.

Proto-Kenyah

Highland

  • Highland A dialects: [[Lepo Gah language|Lepo Gah]], [[Lepo Sawa language|Lepo Sawa]], [[Lepo Laang language|Lepo Laang]], [[Lepo Baha language|Lepo Baha]], [[Lepo Maut language|Lepo Maut]], [[Lepo Ké language|Lepo Ké]], Bakung, [[Lepo Ndang language|Lepo Ndang]]

  • Highland B dialects: [[Lepo Tau language|Lepo Tau]], Badeng, [[Uma Lasan language|Uma Lasan]], [[Uma Alim language|Uma Alim]], Òma Lóngh

Lowland

  • Western Lowland dialects: Lebo' Vo'

  • Eastern Lowland dialects: [[Lebu Kulit language|Lebu Kulit]], Lebuq Timai, [[Uma Pawa language|Uma Pawa]], [[Uma Ujok language|Uma Ujok]], [[Uma Kelap/Kelep language|Uma Kelap/Kelep]]

Penan-Sebop

This classification of Kenyah languages was updated in a second publication, "Penan, Sebop, and Kenyah internal classification". There, it was shown that Penan and Sebop subgroup specifically with the Western-Lowland branch of Lowland Kenyah. This subgrouping was repeated in the dissertation, "The languages of Borneo: a comprehensive classification".

Proto-Kenyah

Highland

  • Highland A dialects: [[Lepo Gah language|Lepo Gah]], [[Lepo Sawa language|Lepo Sawa]], [[Lepo Laang language|Lepo Laang]], [[Lepo Baha language|Lepo Baha]], [[Lepo Maut language|Lepo Maut]], [[Lepo Ké language|Lepo Ké]], Bakung, [[Lepo Ndang language|Lepo Ndang]]

  • Highland B dialects: [[Lepo Tau language|Lepo Tau]], Badeng, [[Uma Lasan language|Uma Lasan]], [[Uma Alim language|Uma Alim]], Òma Lóngh

Lowland

  • Western Lowland dialects: Lebo' Vo', Eastern Penan, Western Penan, Sebop

  • Eastern Lowland dialects: [[Lebu Kulit language|Lebu Kulit]], Lebuq Timai, [[Uma Pawa language|Uma Pawa]], [[Uma Ujok language|Uma Ujok]], [[Uma Kelap/Kelep language|Uma Kelap/Kelep]]

Supposed Austroasiatic influence

Kaufman (2018) notes that many Proto-Kenyah words (Smith 2017) are of likely Austroasiatic origin, including the following (Note: The Austroasiatic branch reconstructions are from Paul Sidwell's reconstructions).

  • *saləŋ ‘black’ (cf. Proto-Palaungic *laŋ; Proto-Bahnaric *sla(ː)ŋ ‘clear, transparent’)

  • *makaŋ ‘brave’

  • *dəŋ ‘deaf’ (cf. Proto-Katuic *tuŋ; Mon daŋ)

  • *pətat ‘divorce’ (cf. Mon )

  • *naʔ ‘give’ (cf. Proto-South-Bahnaric *ʔaːn; Khmu ʔan)

  • *biləŋ ‘green’

  • *mə-bʰuh ‘help, assist’

  • *laʔu ‘hungry’

  • *adaŋ ‘must’

  • *iəŋ ‘mosquito’

  • *kabiŋ ‘left (side)’

  • *pilaw ‘smooth’ (cf. Proto-Katuic *phiil)

  • *biʔən ‘time’ (cf. Proto-Palaungic *bən ‘(future) time’)

  • *nəmbam ‘tomorrow’

  • *ait ‘sand’

  • *luaŋ ‘seed’

  • *su ‘grandchild’ (cf. Proto-Palaungic *cuʔ)

Vo words of likely Austroasiatic origin include:

  • ɟen ‘bring’

  • pikəp ‘narrow’

  • mamoŋ ‘pregnant’

  • imaʔ ‘rain’ (cf. Proto-Austroasiatic *gmaʔ)

  • lañaʔ ‘fast/quick’ (cf. Proto-Vietic *m-laɲ; Proto-North-Bahnaric *raɲ)

  • məɲon ‘sit’ (cf. Proto-Palaungic *-ɟɔn)

  • ʄap ‘ten’ (cf. Khmer < Chinese?)

  • sah ‘seed’ (cf. Proto-Palaungic *ʄak)

References