Kenyah languages

Kenyah
Kenyah
Geographic; distribution	Borneo
Linguistic classification	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian North Bornean North Sarawakan Kenyah; ; ; ;
Language codes
Glottolog	kaya1332 (partial match)

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

Kenyah proper (a dialect cluster, incl. 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.^[1]

Proto–Kayan-Kenyah
- Kenyah
  - Upper Pujungan
  - Usun Apau
- Penan
  - West Penan
  - East Penan
- Kayanic
  - Lebuʼ Kulit
  - Mboh
  - Ngorek
  - Kayan

However, Smith (2015) rejects Soriente's grouping, and argues that Kenyah and Kayan are separate groups. Smith (2015) proposes the following classification.^[2]

Proto-Kenyah
- Highland
  - Highland A dialects: Lepoʼ Gah, Lepoʼ Sawa, Lepoʼ Laang, Lepoʼ Baha, Lepoʼ Maʼut, Lepoʼ Ké, Bakung, Lepoʼ Ndang
  - Highland B dialects: Lepoʼ Tau, Badeng, Umaʼ Lasan, Umaʼ Alim, Òma Lóngh
- Lowland
  - Western Lowland dialects: Lebo' Vo'
  - Eastern Lowland dialects: Lebuʼ Kulit, Lebuq Timai, Umaʼ Pawa, Umaʼ Ujok, Umaʼ Kelap/Kelep
- Penan-Sebop
  - 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: Lepoʼ Gah, Lepoʼ Sawa, Lepoʼ Laang, Lepoʼ Baha, Lepoʼ Maʼut, Lepoʼ Ké, Bakung, Lepoʼ Ndang
  - Highland B dialects: Lepoʼ Tau, Badeng, Umaʼ Lasan, Umaʼ Alim, Òma Lóngh
- Lowland
  - Western Lowland dialects: Lebo' Vo', Eastern Penan, Western Penan, Sebop
  - Eastern Lowland dialects: Lebuʼ Kulit, Lebuq Timai, Umaʼ Pawa, Umaʼ Ujok, Umaʼ 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).^[3]

*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 tɛt)
*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 dɑp < Chinese?)
sah ‘seed’ (cf. Proto-Palaungic *ʄak)

References

^ Soriente, Antonia. 1997. The classification of Kenyah languages: A preliminary assessment. In SEALS XIV(2): Papers from the 14th meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (2004), ed. by Wilaiwan Khanittana and Paul Sidwell, 49–62. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
^ Smith, Alexander D. "On the Classification of Kenyah and Kayanic Languages." In Oceanic Linguistics, Volume 54, Number 2, December 2015, pp. 333-357.
^ 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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[1] Soriente, Antonia. 1997. The classification of Kenyah languages: A preliminary assessment. In SEALS XIV(2): Papers from the 14th meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (2004), ed. by Wilaiwan Khanittana and Paul Sidwell, 49–62. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.

[2] Smith, Alexander D. "On the Classification of Kenyah and Kayanic Languages." In Oceanic Linguistics, Volume 54, Number 2, December 2015, pp. 333-357.

[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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