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:

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

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