Kenyah languages

Soriente (2008) proposes a Kayan-Kenyah grouping.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.

• Proto–Kayan-Kenyah
• Kenyah
• Upper Pujungan
• Usun Apau
• Penan
• West Penan
• East Penan
• Kayanic
• Lebu{{hamza}} 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.Smith, Alexander D. "On the Classification of Kenyah and Kayanic Languages." In Oceanic Linguistics, Volume 54, Number 2, December 2015, pp. 333-357.

• Proto-Kenyah
• Highland
• Highland A dialects: Lepo{{hamza}} Gah, Lepo{{hamza}} Sawa, Lepo{{hamza}} Laang, Lepo{{hamza}} Baha, Lepo{{hamza}} Ma{{hamza}}ut, Lepo{{hamza}} Ké, Bakung, Lepo{{hamza}} Ndang
• Highland B dialects: Lepo{{hamza}} Tau, Badeng, Uma{{hamza}} Lasan, Uma{{hamza}} Alim, Òma Lóngh
• Lowland
• Western Lowland dialects: Lebo' Vo'
• Eastern Lowland dialects: Lebu{{hamza}} Kulit, Lebuq Timai, Uma{{hamza}} Pawa, Uma{{hamza}} Ujok, Uma{{hamza}} 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: Lepo{{hamza}} Gah, Lepo{{hamza}} Sawa, Lepo{{hamza}} Laang, Lepo{{hamza}} Baha, Lepo{{hamza}} Ma{{hamza}}ut, Lepo{{hamza}} Ké, Bakung, Lepo{{hamza}} Ndang
• Highland B dialects: Lepo{{hamza}} Tau, Badeng, Uma{{hamza}} Lasan, Uma{{hamza}} Alim, Òma Lóngh
• Lowland
• Western Lowland dialects: Lebo' Vo', Eastern Penan, Western Penan, Sebop
• Eastern Lowland dialects: Lebu{{hamza}} Kulit, Lebuq Timai, Uma{{hamza}} Pawa, Uma{{hamza}} Ujok, Uma{{hamza}} Kelap/Kelep

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).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. ([https://bahasawan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cornell-Borneo-handout.pdf handout] / [https://bahasawan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cornell-Borneo-slides.pdf slides])

• *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 {{lang|mnw|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 {{lang|km|dɑp}} < Chinese?)
• sah ‘seed’ (cf. Proto-Palaungic *ʄak)

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