Timor–Babar languages

The Timor–Babar languages are a group of fifty Austronesian languages (geographically Central–Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages) spoken on the islands of Timor, neighboring Wetar, and the Babar Islands to the east.

The numerically most important languages are Uab Meto of West Timor and Tetum of East Timor, each with about half a million speakers, though in addition Tetum is an official language and a lingua franca among non-Tetum East Timorese.

Languages

The Babar languages form their own group:

• Babar languages (see)

Hull (1998)

Geoffrey Hull (1998) proposes a Timoric group as follows:

• Ramelaic (near the Ramelau range)
  • West: Kemak, Tukudede
  • Central: Mambai
  • East (Idalaka): Idaté, Isní, Lakalei, Lolein
• Extra-Ramelaic (Fabronic; whatever is not Ramelaic)
  • West: Dawan (Uab Meto)–Amarasi, Helong, Roti (Bilba, Dengka, Lole, Ringgou, Dela-Oenale, Termanu, Tii)
  • Central: Tetun, Bekais
  • North: Wetar, Galoli
  • East: Kairui, Waimaha, Midiki; Luang, Makuva

Van Engelenhoven sets up a South–East Timor branch including Tetun, Waimaha, and Luangic–Kisaric; the latter is as follows:^[1]

• South–East Timor
  • Tetun
  • Waimaha
  • Luangic–Kisaric
    • Kisar–Roma: Kisar, Romang
    • Luangic: Luang, Wetan, Leti

Ethnologue

Ethnologue calls a similar group Southwest Maluku and adds:

• Southwest Maluku
  • East Damar
  • Kisar–Roma
  • Luangic
  • Teun-Nila-Serua: Nila–Serua, Te’un
  • Wetar

In addition, unclassified Nauete is not close to other Timorese languages. Habu is structurally similar to Waimaha.

Taber (1993)

Languages of Timor Island

Taber (1993:396) gives a Southwest Maluku and Babar group as follows, along with West Damar as an isolate.

• Southwest Maluku group
  • East Damar
  • Wetar subgroup
    • Talur
    • Wetar cluster
      • Aputai
      • Perai
      • Tugun
      • Iliun
  • Kisar-Roma subgroup
    • Kisar
    • Roma
  • Luang
    • Leti
    • Luang
    • Wetan
  • TNS (Teun-Nila-Serua) subgroup
    • Teun
    • Nila-Serua cluster: Nila, Serua
• Babar group
  • North Babar subgroup
    • North Babar
    • Dai
    • Dawera-Daweloor
  • South Babar subgroup
    • Southwest Babar cluster
      • Emplawas
      • Tela-Masbuar
      • Imroing
    • Masela-Southeast Babar cluster
      • Southeast Babar
      • Serili
      • East Masela
      • Central Masela
• West Damar (isolate)

References

• Hull, Geoffrey. 1998. "The basic lexical affinities of Timor's Austronesian languages: a preliminary investigation." Studies in Languages and Cultures of East Timor 1:97-202.
• Taber, Mark (1993). "Toward a Better Understanding of the Indigenous Languages of Southwestern Maluku." Oceanic Linguistics, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Winter, 1993), pp. 389-441. University of Hawai'i.

External links

• The Languages of East Timor: Some Basic Facts (Revised 24.8.2004) Geoffrey Hull