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Chapter 10. Becoming Austronesian

Mechanisms of language dispersal across southern Island Southeast Asia and the collapse of Austronesian morphosyntax
  • Mark Donohue and Tim Denham
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Austronesian Undressed
This chapter is in the book Austronesian Undressed

Abstract

We examine the spread of Austronesian languages as a process that proceeded in different ways at different times, even in the same locale. We examine the many ways a language can show ‘Austronesian traits’, and confront this with the known presence of pre-Austronesian languages across Island Southeast Asia, and the inferred similarity of social processes between mainland and Island Southeast Asia. We argue that many languages which are classified as Austronesian are indeed exemplary Austronesian languages, but that many others should be considered to be the outcome of creolisation processes, and yet others show the traces of scenarios involving (imperfect) language shift from earlier non-Austronesian languages. Indeed, ‘many’ of the languages should be considered to be non-Austronesian languages (‘Papuan’) with (in some cases minimal) Austronesian (lexical) veneers.

Abstract

We examine the spread of Austronesian languages as a process that proceeded in different ways at different times, even in the same locale. We examine the many ways a language can show ‘Austronesian traits’, and confront this with the known presence of pre-Austronesian languages across Island Southeast Asia, and the inferred similarity of social processes between mainland and Island Southeast Asia. We argue that many languages which are classified as Austronesian are indeed exemplary Austronesian languages, but that many others should be considered to be the outcome of creolisation processes, and yet others show the traces of scenarios involving (imperfect) language shift from earlier non-Austronesian languages. Indeed, ‘many’ of the languages should be considered to be non-Austronesian languages (‘Papuan’) with (in some cases minimal) Austronesian (lexical) veneers.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Preface ix
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 1. What does it mean to be an isolating language? 9
  6. Chapter 2. The loss of affixation in Cham 97
  7. Chapter 3. Dual heritage 119
  8. Chapter 4. Voice and bare verbs in Colloquial Minangkabau 213
  9. Chapter 5. Javanese undressed 253
  10. Chapter 6. Are the Central Flores languages really typologically unusual? 287
  11. Chapter 7. From Lamaholot to Alorese 339
  12. Chapter 8. Double agent, double cross? 369
  13. Chapter 9. The origins of isolating word structure in eastern Timor 391
  14. Chapter 10. Becoming Austronesian 447
  15. Chapter 11. Concluding reflections 483
  16. Index 507
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.129.10don

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Preface ix
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 1. What does it mean to be an isolating language? 9
  6. Chapter 2. The loss of affixation in Cham 97
  7. Chapter 3. Dual heritage 119
  8. Chapter 4. Voice and bare verbs in Colloquial Minangkabau 213
  9. Chapter 5. Javanese undressed 253
  10. Chapter 6. Are the Central Flores languages really typologically unusual? 287
  11. Chapter 7. From Lamaholot to Alorese 339
  12. Chapter 8. Double agent, double cross? 369
  13. Chapter 9. The origins of isolating word structure in eastern Timor 391
  14. Chapter 10. Becoming Austronesian 447
  15. Chapter 11. Concluding reflections 483
  16. Index 507
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