Punan languages explained

Punan languages should not be confused with Rejang language.

Punan
Region:Indonesia and Malaysia (Borneo)
Familycolor:Austronesian
Fam2:Malayo-Polynesian
Fam4:Central Sarawak
Fam5:Punan–Müller-Schwaner
Glotto:puna1280
Glottorefname:Punan

The Punan languages or Rejang-Sajau languages are a group of mutually intelligible isolects spoken by the Punan and related peoples of Borneo in Indonesia and Malaysia.[1]

Classification

Smith (2017) classifies Punan dialects as follows:

Austroasiatic influence

Kaufman (2018) notes that some Proto-Punan words (Smith 2017) are of likely Austroasiatic origin, including the following.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Smith . Alexander D. . 2017 . The Languages of Borneo: A Comprehensive Classification . PhD Dissertation . University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
  2. 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)