Muna–Buton languages is a topic that has sparked interest and controversy over the years. It has been the subject of debates, research and discussions in different areas, from politics to science. Its relevance and significance make it a topic of general interest, since it directly or indirectly impacts society. In this article, we will explore various perspectives and approaches related to Muna–Buton languages, with the aim of offering a complete and enriching overview of this topic.
Muna–Buton | |
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Geographic distribution | Sulawesi |
Linguistic classification | Austronesian
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Proto-language | Proto-Muna-Buton |
Subdivisions |
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Glottolog | muna1246 |
The Muna–Buton languages are a group of languages spoken on the islands of Muna and Buton off the coast of South East Sulawesi province, Indonesia. They belong to the Celebic subgroup of the Austronesian family.
The Ethnologue classifies the Muna–Buton languages as follows, based on van den Berg (2003) and Donohue (2004):
In earlier classifications, Wolio, spoken in the city of Baubau (seat of the court of the former Sultanate of Buton) and its immediate surroundings, and Laiyolo, spoken in the southern part of Selayar Island, were also included in the Muna–Buton group, but Donohue (2004) has shown that they form a distinct subgroup of their own, Wotu–Wolio, which also includes Wotu, spoken at the northern shore of the Bone Gulf.
Proto-Muna–Buton | |
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Reconstruction of | Muna–Buton languages |
Reconstructed ancestors |
Proto-Muna–Buton has been reconstructed by van den Berg (2003).
Front | Central | Back | |
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Close | *i | *u | |
Mid | *e | *o | |
Open | *a |
Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal | |||
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Plosive | voiceless | plain | *p | *t | *k | *q | ||
prenasalized | *mp | *nt | *ŋk | |||||
voiced | plain/implosive | *ɓ | *ɗ | *g | ||||
prenasalized | *mb | *nd | *ŋg | |||||
Fricative | voiceless | plain | *s | *h | ||||
prenasalized | *ns | |||||||
voiced | *R | |||||||
Nasal | *m | *n | *ŋ | |||||
Trill | *r | |||||||
Lateral | *l | |||||||
Approximant | *w | *y |
Van den Berg proposes around 30 lexical innovations for Proto-Muna–Buton, e.g., *ɓeka 'cat', *kaɓi 'throw away', *kenta 'fish', *kompa 'eel', *potu 'head', *weŋke 'split open (fruit)', *woru 'under'.