Affiliation:
1. The Chinese University of Hong Kong
2. University of North Texas
Abstract
Abstract
This study investigates the relatedness and history of the Austronesian languages of Borneo, which is the third
largest island in the world and home to significant linguistic diversity. We apply Bayesian phylogenetic dating methods to lexical
cognate data based on four historical calibration points to infer a dated phylogeny of 87 languages. The inferred tree topology
agrees with the mid and lower-level subgrouping proposals based on the classical comparative method, but suggests a different
higher-level organization. The root age of the dated tree is shallower than the archaeological estimates but agrees with a
hypothesis of a past linguistic leveling event. The inferred homelands of the major linguistic subgroups from a Bayesian
phylogeographic analysis agree with the homeland proposals from archaeology and linguistics. The inferred homelands for four of
the eight subgroups support the riverine homeland hypothesis whereby the major linguistic subgroups developed initially in
communities situated along Borneo’s major rivers.
Publisher
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Subject
Linguistics and Language,Language and Linguistics
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献