Berawan language
{{short description|Austronesian language spoken in Sarawak, Malaysia}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Berawan
|region=Sarawak, Malaysia
|speakers=3,600
|date=2010
|ref=e18
|familycolor=Austronesian
|fam2 = Malayo-Polynesian
|fam3 = North Bornean
|fam4 = North Sarawakan
|fam5 = Berawan–Lower Baram
|lc1=zbc |ld1=Central
|lc2=zbe |ld2=East
|lc3=zbw |ld3=West
|lc4=lod |ld4=inclusive (deprecated in 2008)
|glotto=bera1264
|glottorefname=Berawan
}}
Berawan is an Austronesian language spoken in eastern Sarawak, Malaysia.
Dialects
- Lakiput
- Narom
- Lelak
- Dali
- Miri long teran
- Belait
- Tutong
- Long Terawan
- Long Tutoh
- Mulu Caves
Distribution
- Baram (Tutoh-Tinjar)
- Batu Bela (Sungai Merah / Lower Tutoh)
- Long Terawan (Middle Tutoh)
- Long Teru (Lower Tinjar)
- Long Jegan (Middle Tinjar)
- Long Teran
- Long Tabing
- Long Takong
- Loagan Bunut National Park
- Long Patan
- Long Palo (Tutoh)
- Long Kuk
Reconstruction
Proto-Berawan is the reconstructed proto-language of all Berawan language varieties. Its phonology has been extensively reconstructed by Jürgen M. Burkhardt in 2014.
= Sound changes from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian =
;Severe limitations on antepenult syllables
All preantepenult syllables were lost in Proto-Berawan: *kalapani > *ləpineʔ > metathesised *pəlineʔ 'swallow (bird)'. Following this stage, all vowels in antepenult syllables were neutralised into *ə: *tinaʔi > *tənaʔeʔ 'small intestines'.{{sfn|Burkhardt|2014|p=197–199}}
;Vowel changes in penult syllables
The vowel *i, when preceding a vowel, inserted a glide in between, followed by other developments (*-iy- > *-iyy- > *-əyy- > *-əjj-). Meanwhile, *ə largely did not change during Proto-Berawan stage, but it geminated the following consonant (*pənuq > *pənno 'full'). The only exceptions were in word-initial position, in two words changed early into *a (*əzan, *əmbaw > *acciən 'notched log ladder', *appiəw 'high'), while in two others simply deleted it (*əpat, *əsuŋ > *pat 'four', *coŋ 'rice mortar').
When following other consonants, *a remains, but when following voiced (*b, *β, *d, *z, *g) or palatal (*j, *ñ, *y) consonants, it became *i instead (*batu > *bittoh 'stone', *ia > *jiəh '(s)he/it'). The consonant *l did not block the raising (*balu > *billoh 'widow').{{sfn|Burkhardt|2014|p=199–214}}
;In final syllables
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite thesis|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318352145_The_reconstruction_of_the_phonology_of_Proto-Berawan|title=The Reconstruction of the Phonology of Proto-Berawan|first=Jürgen M.|last=Burkhardt|year=2014|publisher=Johann Wolfgang von Goethe University}}
External links
- Kaipuleohone has an open access collection of materials ([https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/33161?mode=full RB2-003]) that includes notes on Berawan.
{{Bornean languages}}
{{Greater North Borneo languages}}
{{Languages of Brunei}}
{{Languages of Malaysia}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Berawan–Lower Baram languages