Temiar language

Temiar
Native toPeninsular Malaysia
Native speakers
30,000 (2020)[1]
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3tea
Glottologtemi1246
ELPTemiar

Temiar is a Central Aslian (Mon–Khmer) language spoken in Western Malaysia by the Temiar people. The Temiar are one of the most numerous Aslian-speaking peoples, numbering around 30,000 in 2017.[2]

Name

Etymologically, the word "Temiar" means "edge" or "side". This meaning reflects the way in which Temiars describe themselves as "people of the edge, outside, [i.e. jungle]."[3]

Phonology

Vowels

Oral vowels
Front Central Back
Close i iː ʉ ʉː u uː
Close-mid e eː o oː
Open-mid ɛ ɛː ə əː ɔ ɔː
Open a aː
Nasal vowels
Front Central Back
Close ĩ ĩː ʉ̃ ʉ̃ː ũ ũː
Mid ɛ̃ ɛ̃ː ɔ̃ ɔ̃ː
Open ã ãː

Consonants

Bilabial Dental Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive voiceless p t c k ʔ
voiced b d ɟ ɡ
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Rhotic ɾ
Lateral l
Fricative ɕ h
Approximant w j

Morphosyntax

Noun Phrase

The noun phrase is (pro)noun initial followed by modifiers and demonstratives or possessor pronouns. Pronouns may not be modified by another pronoun.[4] There are three allomorphic classes of pronouns (stressed unstressed, and bound). Stressed third person pronouns must occur with a demonstrative (and hence only occur as unstressed or as bound morphemes on the demonstrative (e.g. na-doh 'he-here' or ʔun-tu:y 'they-elsewhere.'[4]

Stressed Pronouns
Person Singular Dual Plural
Inclusive Exclusive Inclusive Exclusive
1 ye:ʔ ʔa:r ya:r ʔɛ:ʔ kanɛ:ʔ
2 ha:ʔ kəʔan ɲɔb
Unstressed Pronouns
Person Singular Dual Plural
Inclusive Exclusive Inclusive Exclusive
1 yeh ʔah yah ʔɛh kanɛh
2 hah kəʔan ɲɔb
3 ʔəh weh wɛh ʔun ʔən
Bound Pronouns
Person Singular Dual Plural
Inclusive Exclusive Inclusive Exclusive
1 ʔi- ʔa- ya- ʔɛ- kanɛ-

ki-

kɛ-

2 ha- kəʔa- ɲɔ(b)-
3 na- ʔə- we- wɛ- ʔun-

Verb Phrase

The verb phrase is ordered as sentential negation, auxiliary verb and main verb. The verb phrase precedes the subject.[4]

References

  1. ^ Temiar at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ^ Benjamin, Geoffrey (November 2013). "Aesthetic elements in Temiar grammar". In Williams, Jeffrey P (ed.). The Aesthetics of Grammar: Sound and Meaning in the Languages of Mainland Southeast Asia. pp. 36–60. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139030489.004. ISBN 9781139030489. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
  3. ^ Benjamin, Geoffrey (2012). "The Peculiar History of the Ethnonym "Temiar"". Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia. 27 (2): 205–233. doi:10.1355/sj27-2a.
  4. ^ a b c Benjamin, Geoffrey (1976). An Outline of Temiar Grammar. Oceanic Linguistics Special Publications. University of Hawai'i Press. pp. 129–187. ISSN 0078-3188. JSTOR 20019155.

Further reading