Melanau–Kajang languages

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.

Classification

Smith (2017)

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

• Melanau (Dalat, Sarikei, Mukah, Balingian, Matu, Sibu, Kanowit)
• Kajang (Kejaman, Sekapan, Lahanan)
• Punan–Müller-Schwaner
• Punan
• Punan Bah, Punan Tubu, Sajau
• Punan Lisum, Punan Aput, Beketan, Ukit, Buket
• Müller-Schwaner
• Hovongan
• Kereho, Aoheng, Seputan

Austroasiatic influence

Kaufman (2018) notes that many Proto-Central Sarawak words 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)).

• *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

Further reading

• Rensch, Calvin R. 2012. Melanau and the Languages of Central Sarawak. SIL Electronic Survey Report. SIL International.