The Sabahan languages are a group of Austronesian languages mostly concentrated in the Malaysian state of Sabah, but also extended into neighbouring Sarawak of Malaysia, North Kalimantan of Indonesia, and the sovereign state of Brunei.
Languages
Blust (2010)
The constituents are separated into two families in Blust (2010):
Northeast Sabahan
Southwest Sabahan
Lobel (2013)
Lobel (2013b, p. 47, 361) proposes the following internal classification of Southwest Sabahan, based on phonological and morphological evidence.
Lobel (2013:367âÂÂ368) lists the following Proto-Southwest Sabahan phonological innovations that were developed from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian. (Note: PSWSAB stands for Proto-Southwest Sabahan, while PMP stands for Proto-Malayo-Polynesian.)
- PMP *h > PSWSAB ÃÂ
- PMP *a > PSWSAB *ÃÂ / _# (possibly be an areal feature in Sabah or northern Borneo, since this is also found in Idaanic)
- PMP *R > PSWSAB *h / (a,i,u)_(a,ÃÂ,u)
- PMP *R > PSWSAB *g / ÃÂ_
- PMP *-m- > ø in PSWSAB reflexes of the PMP pronoun forms *kami âÂÂ1EXCL.NOMâÂÂ, *mami âÂÂ1EXCL.GENâÂÂ, and *kamu âÂÂ2PL.NOMâÂÂ
- Reduction of most PMP consonant clusters to either singletons or prenasalized clusters
Smith (2017)
Smith (2017) proposes a North Borneo group comprising the North Sarawak, Northeast Sabah, and Southwest Sabah branches.
- North Sarawak
- Bintulu
- BerawanâÂÂLower Baram
- Dayic
- Kenyah
- Northeast Sabah (Bonggi, Idaanic)
- Southwest Sabah
- Greater Dusunic
- BisayaâÂÂLotudâÂÂDusunic
- BisayaâÂÂLotud (Sabah and Limbang Bisaya, Brunei Dusun, Lotud)
- Dusunic (Bundu, Liwan, Tindal, Tobilung, Rungus, Kadazan, Kujau, Minokok, Dumpas, etc)
- Paitanic (Beluran, Lingkabau, Lobu, Kuamut, Murut Serudong)
- Greater Murutic
- Tatana
- Papar
- Murutic (Murut (Nabaay, Timugon, Paluan, Tagol, Kalabakan), Gana, Tingalan, Kolod, Abai, Bulusu, Tidung (Bengawong, Sumbol, Kalabakan, Mensalong, Malinau))
Footnotes
References