Melanau language

Not to be confused with Maranao language or Melanesian languages.
Melanau
Central Melanau
Native toMalaysia, Brunei
RegionSarawak and neighbouring Brunei
EthnicityMelanau people
Native speakers
110,000 (2000)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
mel – Central Melanau
dro – Daro-Matu Melanau
sdx – Sibu Melanau
Glottologcent2101  Central
daro1239  Daro-Matu
sibu1258  Sibu
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Melanau is an Austronesian language spoken in the coastal area of the Rajang delta on northwest Borneo, Sarawak, Malaysia and Brunei. There are several dialects—Mukah-Oya, Balingian, Bruit, Dalat, Lawas, Igan, Sarikei, Segahan, Prehan, Segalang, and Siteng.[2]

Phonology

Consonants

Melanau has the following consonants.[3]

Bilabial Coronal Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
Nasals m n ɲ ŋ
Plosives and
affricates 		voiceless p t tʃ k ʔ
voiced b d dʒ ɡ
Fricatives s h, ɦ
Lateral l
Trills r ʀ
Semivowels w j

Vowels

Melanau has the following vowels.[3]

front central back
rounded
High i u
Mid ɛ ə ɔ
Low a

Sounds /i a u ɔ/ can have allophones of [ɪ æ~ʌ ʊ ɒ].[4]

Orthography

Vowels and diphthongs

  • a – [a]
  • aa – [aː]
  • e – [ɛ/ə]
  • i – [i]
  • o – [ɔ]
  • u – [u]
  • ai – [ai]
  • au – [au]
  • ei – [ei]
  • ou – [ou]
  • ui – [ui]

Consonants

  • b – [b]
  • c – [t͡ʃ]
  • d – [d]
  • g – [g]
  • h – [h, ɦ]
  • j – [d͡ʒ]
  • k – [k]
  • l – [l]
  • m – [m]
  • n – [n]
  • ng – [ŋ]
  • ny – [ɲ]
  • p – [p]
  • r – [r/ʀ]
  • s – [s]
  • t – [t]
  • w – [w]
  • y – [j][5]

Notes

  1. ^ Central Melanau at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Daro-Matu Melanau at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Sibu Melanau at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Raymond G. Gordon Jr., ed. 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 15th edition. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
  3. ^ a b Clayre 1970.
  4. ^ Clayre 1972.
  5. ^ "Melanau language". Omniglot. Retrieved 27 August 2021.

References

  • I.F.C.S. Clayre. 1970. "The Spelling of Melanau (nee Milano)," The Sarawak Museum Journal 18:330-352.
  • Clayre, Iain F. C. S. 1972. A grammatical description of Melanau. University of Edinburgh.
  • Rensch, Calvin R. 2012. Melanau and the Languages of Central Sarawak. SIL Electronic Survey Report. SIL International.