Kenyah languages


The Kenyah languages are a group of half a dozen or so closely related languages spoken by the Kenyah peoples of Borneo. They are:
Ethnologue says that the Punan–Nibong languages are related to Uma’ Lasan, Glottolog that they are outside the Kenyah languages.

Classification

Soriente proposes a Kayan-Kenyah grouping.
However, Smith rejects Soriente's grouping, and argues that Kenyah and Kayan are separate groups. Smith proposes the following classification.
This classification of Kenyah languages was updated in a second publication, "Penan, Sebop, and Kenyah internal classification". There, it was shown that Penan and Sebop subgroup specifically with the Western-Lowland branch of Lowland Kenyah. This subgrouping was repeated in the dissertation, "The languages of Borneo: a comprehensive classification".

Supposed Austroasiatic influence

Kaufman notes that many Proto-Kenyah words are of likely Austroasiatic origin, including the following.
  • *saləŋ ‘black’
  • *makaŋ ‘brave’
  • *dəŋ ‘deaf’
  • *pətat ‘divorce’
  • *naʔ ‘give’
  • *biləŋ ‘green’
  • *mə-bʰuh ‘help, assist’
  • *laʔu ‘hungry’
  • *adaŋ ‘must’
  • *iəŋ ‘mosquito’
  • *kabiŋ ‘left ’
  • *pilaw ‘smooth’
  • *biʔən ‘time’
  • *nəmbam ‘tomorrow’
  • *ait ‘sand’
  • *luaŋ ‘seed’
  • *su ‘grandchild’
Vo words of likely Austroasiatic origin include:
  • ɟen ‘bring’
  • pikəp ‘narrow’
  • mamoŋ ‘pregnant’
  • imaʔ ‘rain’
  • lañaʔ ‘fast/quick’
  • məɲon ‘sit’
  • ʄap ‘ten’
  • sah ‘seed’