Celebic languages
Encyclopedia
The Celebic languages are a proposed group of Malayo-Polynesian languages
spoken on the island of Sulawesi
, formerly spelled Celebes. It would be the largest family of languages on that island.
The Tomini–Tolitoli languages were not covered by the study, but previous classifications had placed them in with the Southeast Celebic family.
, and Minahasan languages
—have the Austronesian alignment
system of syntax
common to the languages of the Philippines
and Borneo
, and reconstructed for proto-Malayo-Polynesian.
The languages of the center and south of the island have lost this system. Wouk and Ross (2002) argued from this that Sulawesi was the center of dispersal for a group of languages which share this loss, which they call Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian
. They leave Gorontalo, Sangiric, and Minahasan outside their Nuclear MP, and the various other Sulawesi families as primary branches of Nuclear MP. Adelaar and Himmelmann (2005) go further and classify Gorontalo, Sangiric, and Minahasan as Philippine languages
, with Gorontalo in a "Greater Central Philippine" branch along with Tagalog
.
However, the 2008 study only supported the inclusion of Gorontalo with the Philippine languages, as a coordinate branch (100% support for Gorontalo–Philippines and a primary division into Gorontalo vs Philippine languages). Moderate (80%) support was found for unifying Sangiric and Minahasan; like the other groups of Sulawesi, South Sulawesi
and Celebic, lexically at least these appear to lie within Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian and are perhaps most closely tied within that group to Central–Eastern Malayo-Polynesian. Celebic may be closer to Central–Eastern than to Sangir–Minahasan or South Sulawesi. (See Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian
.)
Malayo-Polynesian languages
The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. These are widely dispersed throughout the island nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean, with a smaller number in continental Asia...
spoken on the island of Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
, formerly spelled Celebes. It would be the largest family of languages on that island.
Classification
A 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database fully supported the unity of the Celebic languages. It determined the internal structure to be as follows:- Saluan–Banggai
- Southeast Celebic (85% confidence)
- Pamona–Tolaki (90%)
- Kaili–PamonaKaili–Pamona languagesThe Kaili–Pamona languages are a group of Celebic languages spoken in central Central Sulawesi province, Indonesia.-Languages:Per Ethnologue 16, the languages are the following:*Northern...
- Bungku–Tolaki
- Kaili–Pamona
- Greater Muna–Buton (100%)
- Tukangbesi–Bonerate: Tukang BesiTukang Besi languageTukang Besi is an Austronesian language spoken in the Tukangbesi Islands in south-east Sulawesi in Indonesia by some 200,000 speakers.-Sounds:...
(Popalia), Bonerate - Muna–Wolio (75%)
- Wotu–Wolio
- Muna–Buton
- Tukangbesi–Bonerate: Tukang Besi
- Pamona–Tolaki (90%)
The Tomini–Tolitoli languages were not covered by the study, but previous classifications had placed them in with the Southeast Celebic family.
External relationships
Sulawesi has a diverse set of languages. The families of the north—Gorontalo, SangiricSangiric languages
The Sangiric languages are a group of languages spoken in northern Sulawesi and several small islands to the north which belong to the Philippines.The languages are Sangir and a southern group of Bantik, Ratahan, Talaud....
, and Minahasan languages
Minahasan languages
The Minahasan languages are a group of languages spoken by the Minahasa people in northern Sulawesi.-Classification:The languages are :*Tonsawang*North Minahasan**Tontemboan...
—have the Austronesian alignment
Austronesian alignment
Austronesian alignment, commonly known as the Philippine- or Austronesian-type voice system, is a typologically unusual morphosyntactic alignment that combines features of ergative and accusative languages...
system of syntax
Syntax
In linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing phrases and sentences in natural languages....
common to the languages of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, and reconstructed for proto-Malayo-Polynesian.
The languages of the center and south of the island have lost this system. Wouk and Ross (2002) argued from this that Sulawesi was the center of dispersal for a group of languages which share this loss, which they call Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian
Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian languages
The Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian languages are a branch of the Austronesian family, proposed by Wouk & Ross , that are thought to have dispersed from a possible homeland in Sulawesi. They are called nuclear because they are the conceptual core of the Malayo-Polynesian family, including both Malay and...
. They leave Gorontalo, Sangiric, and Minahasan outside their Nuclear MP, and the various other Sulawesi families as primary branches of Nuclear MP. Adelaar and Himmelmann (2005) go further and classify Gorontalo, Sangiric, and Minahasan as Philippine languages
Philippine languages
The Philippine languages are a 1991 proposal by Robert Blust that all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi—except Sama–Bajaw and a few languages of Palawan—form a subfamily of Austronesian languages...
, with Gorontalo in a "Greater Central Philippine" branch along with Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
.
However, the 2008 study only supported the inclusion of Gorontalo with the Philippine languages, as a coordinate branch (100% support for Gorontalo–Philippines and a primary division into Gorontalo vs Philippine languages). Moderate (80%) support was found for unifying Sangiric and Minahasan; like the other groups of Sulawesi, South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi languages
The South Sulawesi languages are a group of languages spoken by the Bugis and related peoples of South Sulawesi province, Indonesia.-Languages:*Bugis**Buginese: Buginese, Campalagian**? Tamanic: Mbalo, Taman...
and Celebic, lexically at least these appear to lie within Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian and are perhaps most closely tied within that group to Central–Eastern Malayo-Polynesian. Celebic may be closer to Central–Eastern than to Sangir–Minahasan or South Sulawesi. (See Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian
Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian languages
The Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian languages are a branch of the Austronesian family, proposed by Wouk & Ross , that are thought to have dispersed from a possible homeland in Sulawesi. They are called nuclear because they are the conceptual core of the Malayo-Polynesian family, including both Malay and...
.)