Temiar language

In this article, we will explore the topic of Temiar language from various angles and perspectives. Temiar language is a topic that has generated great interest throughout history and has been the subject of debate and discussion in different contexts. Throughout the article, we will analyze the different facets of Temiar language, from its impact on society to its possible future implications. We will also examine how Temiar language has evolved over time and how it has influenced various aspects of everyday life. This article aims to provide a complete and in-depth overview of Temiar language, in order to offer the reader a broader and more detailed understanding of this very relevant topic.

Temiar
Native toPeninsular Malaysia
Native speakers
30,000 (2020)
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.

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, ."

Phonology

Vowels

Oral vowels
Front Central Back
Close i ʉ ʉː u
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɛː ə əː ɔ ɔː
Open a
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. 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.'

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.

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

  • Benjamin, Geoffrey. 2011. "Deponent verbs and middle-voice nouns in Temiar." In: Sophana Srichampa & Paul Sidwell (eds), Austroasiatic Studies: Papers from ICAAL4 (=Mon-Khmer Studies, Special Issue no. 2), Canberra: Pacific Linguistics E-8, pp. 11–37. ISBN 9780858836419 (electronic document)
  • Benjamin, Geoffrey. 2012. "The Temiar causative (and related features)." Mon-Khmer Studies 41: 32–45. ISSN 0147-5207 (online).
  • Benjamin, Geoffrey. 2014. "Aesthetic elements in Temiar grammar." In: Jeffrey Williams (ed.), The Aesthetics of Grammar: Sound and Meaning in the Languages of Mainland Southeast Asia, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 36–60. ISBN 9781107007123 (print, hard cover), ISBN 9781107496309 (eBook, 2013). doi:10.1017/CBO9781139030489.004

External links