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Proto-Malayo-Polynesian language

Reconstructed ancestor of the Malayo-Polynesian languages From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Proto-Malayo-Polynesian (PMP) is the reconstructed ancestor of the Malayo-Polynesian languages, which is by far the largest branch (by current speakers) of the Austronesian language family. Proto-Malayo-Polynesian is ancestral to all Austronesian languages spoken outside Taiwan, as well as the Yami language on Taiwan's Orchid Island. The first systematic reconstruction of Proto-Austronesian ("Uraustronesisch") by Otto Dempwolff was based on evidence from languages outside of Taiwan, and was therefore actually the first reconstruction of what is now known as Proto-Malayo-Polynesian.[1]

Quick Facts Reconstruction of, Region ...
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Phonology

Consonants

The following consonants can be reconstructed for Proto-Malayo-Polynesian (Blust 2009):[2]

More information Labial, Alveolar ...

The phonetic value of the reconstructed sounds *p, *b, *w, *m, *t, *d, *n, *s, *l, *r, *k, *g, *ŋ, *q, *h was as indicated by the spelling. The symbols *ñ, *y, *z, *D, *j, *R are orthographic conventions first introduced by Dyen (1947).[3] The assumed phonetic values are given in the table.

This consonant system is quite similar to the ancestral Proto-Austronesian (PAN) system, but is characterized by three mergers:

  • PAN *t/*C > PMP *t
  • PAN *l/*N > PMP *l
  • PAN *h/*S > PMP *h

Vowels

The Proto-Austronesian vowels *a, *i, *u, *e (*e representing /ə/) and final diphthongs *ay, *aw, *uy, *iw remained unchanged.[2]

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Alternative views

In a study from 2016, Roger Blench[4] has raised doubts that there was actually a single unitary Proto-Malayo-Polynesian language. Rather, Malayo-Polynesian expansion across the Luzon Strait consisted of multi-ethnic crews rapidly settling across various locations in maritime Southeast Asia, as suggested by both archaeological and linguistic evidence. There was also a Malayo-Polynesian migration to Hainan; Blench (2016) notes that both Hlai and Austronesian peoples use the foot-braced backstrap loom as well.

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Lexicon

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Below are selected animal and plant names in Proto-Malayo-Polynesian from the Austronesian Comparative Dictionary.[5]

Animal names

More information No., Reconstruction levels ...
More information No., Reconstruction levels ...

Plant names

More information No., Reconstruction levels ...
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See also

Notes

  1. This tree was previously known as Canarium commune L., and is sometimes still erroneously called this; also conflated with the closely related C. vulgare.[6][7]

References

Further reading

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