Kenyah languages explained

Kenyah languages should not be confused with Languages of Kenya.

Kenyah
Region:	Borneo
Familycolor:	Austronesian
Fam2:	Malayo-Polynesian
Fam3:	North Bornean
Fam4:	North Sarawakan
Glotto:	kaya1332
Glottoname:	partial match
Glottorefname:	Kayan–Kenyah

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
    • Lebu 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: Lepo Gah, Lepo Sawa, Lepo Laang, Lepo Baha, Lepo Maut, Lepo Ké, Bakung, Lepo Ndang
    • Highland B dialects: Lepo Tau, Badeng, Uma Lasan, Uma Alim, Òma Lóngh
  • Lowland
    • Western Lowland dialects: Lebo' Vo'
    • Eastern Lowland dialects: Lebu Kulit, Lebuq Timai, Uma Pawa, Uma Ujok, Uma 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 Gah, Lepo Sawa, Lepo Laang, Lepo Baha, Lepo Maut, Lepo Ké, Bakung, Lepo Ndang
    • Highland B dialects: Lepo Tau, Badeng, Uma Lasan, Uma Alim, Òma Lóngh
  • Lowland
    • Western Lowland dialects: Lebo' Vo', Eastern Penan, Western Penan, Sebop
    • Eastern Lowland dialects: Lebu Kulit, Lebuq Timai, Uma Pawa, Uma Ujok, Uma 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 Central Khmer: dɑp < Chinese?)
• sah ‘seed’ (cf. Proto-Palaungic *ʄak)

Notes and References

1. 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.
2. Smith, Alexander D. "On the Classification of Kenyah and Kayanic Languages." In Oceanic Linguistics, Volume 54, Number 2, December 2015, pp. 333-357.
3. 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. (handout / slides)