Researchers use different approaches when collecting and managing primary language materials during fieldwork. Yet it is important that this work is done in a transparent way, so that it can be... Show moreResearchers use different approaches when collecting and managing primary language materials during fieldwork. Yet it is important that this work is done in a transparent way, so that it can be used by other researchers, who might have other aims, as well as by the speaker community who might want to use or take note of the collected materials. In this article we use our research experience in language data collection in and around Indonesia in fieldwork projects of three kinds: descriptive fieldwork, linguistic surveys, and projects investigating language contact. Our aim is to provide an introductory and practical guide for students and professionals who are embarking on fieldwork in or around Indonesia. Describing practical methods of language data collection, processing, and management, our aim is to provide a guide for any research which involves the collection of language materials, including linguistic research, oral history or literature, and ethnography. Show less
This book provides a complete analysis of synchronic CV -> VC metathesis in Amarasi, a language of western Timor. Metathesis and unmetathesis realise a paradigm of parallel forms, pairs of... Show moreThis book provides a complete analysis of synchronic CV -> VC metathesis in Amarasi, a language of western Timor. Metathesis and unmetathesis realise a paradigm of parallel forms, pairs of which occur to complement each other throughout the language.Metathesis in Amarasi is superficially associated with a bewildering array of disparate phonological processes including: vowel deletion, consonant deletion, consonant insertion and multiple kinds of vowel assimilation, any of which can (and do) vary by lect in their realisation. By proposing that Amarasi has an obligatory CVCVC foot in which C-slots can be empty, all these phonological processes can be straightforwardly derived from a single rule of metathesis and two associated phonological rules.Three kinds of metathesis can be identified in Amarasi: (i) Before vowel initial enclitics, roots must undergo metathesis, responding to the need to create a phonological boundary between a clitic host and enclitic. Such metathesis is phonologically conditioned. (ii) Metathesis occurs within the syntax to signal attributive modification. Such a metathesised form cannot occur at the end of a phrase and thus requires the presence of an unmetathesised form to complete it syntactically. (iii) In the discourse an unmetathesised form marks an unresolved event or situation. Such an unmetathesised form cannot occur in isolation and requires a metathesised form to achieve resolution.Metathesis in Amarasi is the central linguistic process around which linguistic structures are organised. Amarasi metatheses also reflect fundamental Timorese notions of societal and cosmic organisation. Alongside weaving and other performed activities, metathesis is an important linguistic marker of identity in a region obsessed with similarities and differences between different groups. The complementarity of Amarasi metathesis and unmetathesis within the syntax and within discourse reflects the Timorese division of the world into a series of mutually dependent binary and complementary pairs. As well as being the key which unlocks the structure of the language, metathesis is also a reflection of the structure of Amarasi society and culture. Show less
In this article I provide an overview of Welaun, an Austronesian language of central Timor. Despite previous documentation, Welaun is mostly unknown to the scientific community. Based on data... Show moreIn this article I provide an overview of Welaun, an Austronesian language of central Timor. Despite previous documentation, Welaun is mostly unknown to the scientific community. Based on data gathered during original fieldwork, I show that Welaun is a distinct language according to both linguistic and social criteria. I investigate the historical phonology of Welaun and show that it, Kemak, Tokodede, and Mambae form a Central Timor subgroup apart from other languages of the region. I also provide an initial description of the phonology and morphology of Welaun along with a glossed text and two wordlists. Show less
I provide initial data and discussion of Funai Helong, a threatened dialect of Helong spoken in and around Kupang in western Timor. Funai Helong is phonologically and morphologically conservative... Show moreI provide initial data and discussion of Funai Helong, a threatened dialect of Helong spoken in and around Kupang in western Timor. Funai Helong is phonologically and morphologically conservative compared with other Helong dialects. I provide an initial sketch of the phonology and select aspects of the morphology of Funai Helong along with a 646 item wordlist. Show less
This paper examines the historical phonology of the Rote-Meto languages through a top-down perspective. It describes the sound changes which have taken place between Proto-Malayo-Polynesian and the... Show moreThis paper examines the historical phonology of the Rote-Meto languages through a top-down perspective. It describes the sound changes which have taken place between Proto-Malayo-Polynesian and the present-day languages. This reveals a number of shared innovations between Meto and the languages of west Rote, as well as changes shared by the other languages of Rote. Thus, a West Rote-Meto subgroup is identified, as well as a Nuclear Rote subgroup. Within Austronesian, there are phonological innovations shared between Rote-Meto and a number of languages of Timor and surrounding islands. This provides evidence for a Timor-Wetar-Babar subgroup, though this group does not include all languages of Timor. Show less
I describe and analyse data from Amarasi, a language with morphological consonant-vowel metathesis. Depending on the phonotactic structure of the stem to which it applies, metathesis is associated... Show moreI describe and analyse data from Amarasi, a language with morphological consonant-vowel metathesis. Depending on the phonotactic structure of the stem to which it applies, metathesis is associated with a number of other phonological processes including: vowel deletion, consonant deletion and two kinds of vowel assimilation. By proposing that Amarasi has an obligatory CVCVC foot in which C-slots can be empty all these phonological processes can be derived from a single process of metathesis and one associated morphemically conditioned process. I consider analyses other than the rule-based one adopted in this paper and show that they cannot account for all the data in a consistent, plausible way. Show less
I make a bottom-up reconstruction of the historical phonology and a portion of the lexicon of the Rote-Meto languages of western Timor. The regular sound correspondences of these languages... Show moreI make a bottom-up reconstruction of the historical phonology and a portion of the lexicon of the Rote-Meto languages of western Timor. The regular sound correspondences of these languages necessitate reconstruction to Proto-Rote-Meto of a large amount of material that cannot be fully explained by Austronesian inheritance. The nature of this material indicates that it is substrate retention from pre-Austronesian languages of the region. This substrate can be detected by application of the comparative method alone. The bottom-up reconstruction also provides evidence for subgrouping Meto with both West Rote and East Rote and I propose that this is because Meto has shared a period of common development with both groups that involves a synthesis of the tree model and wave model of historical linguistics. Show less
I present an analysis of prevocalic initial glottal stops in Amarasi. A range of morphological and phonological evidence shows that a unitary analysis of such glottal stops is not possible: some... Show moreI present an analysis of prevocalic initial glottal stops in Amarasi. A range of morphological and phonological evidence shows that a unitary analysis of such glottal stops is not possible: some morphemes occur with an epenthetic initial glottal stop, while other morphemes occur with a contrastive initial glottal stop. This is consistent with the historical data, which show that some glottal stops have developed from an earlier consonant while others are historic insertions. Despite the difference between epenthetic and contrastive glottal stops in Amarasi, there are only a few instances in which the data are unambiguous. In most cases, the status of a particular glottal stop has not yet been determined. Show less
