Semelai language

Semelai is an Austroasiatic language spoken in the Malay Peninsula. It belongs to the Southern branch of the Aslian language subgrouping. The Semelai reside predominantly around the Bera, Serting and associated river systems in the states of Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Johor.

Semelai
Native toMalaysia
RegionMalay Peninsula
Ethnicity6,300 (2008)[1]
Native speakers
4,100 (2009)[1]
Latin script
Language codes
ISO 639-3sza
Glottologseme1247
ELPSemelai[2]

Phonology

Semelai has 32 consonants and 20 vowels.[3]

Consonants
Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
plain aspirated preglottalized plain aspirated preglottalized plain aspirated preglottalized plain aspirated
Stop voiceless p t c k ʔ
voiced b d ɟ ɡ
Fricative s h
Nasal voiceless ŋ̊
voiced m ʔm n ʔn ɲ ʔɲ ŋ
Approximant l ʔl j ʔj w
Trill r ʔr

Notes

  1. Semelai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. Endangered Languages Project data for Semelai.
  3. Kruspe (2004)

References

  • Hoe, Ban Seng (2001). Baer, Adela S.; Gianno, Rosemary (eds.). Semelai Communities at Tasek Bera: A Study of the Structure of an Orang Asli Society. Subang Jaya, Malaysia: Centre for Orang Asli Concerns. ISBN 983-40042-3-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Kruspe, Nicole (2004). A Grammar of Semelai. Cambridge Grammatical Descriptions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-81497-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Kruspe, Nicole (2004). "Adjectives in Semelai". In Dixon, R. M. W.; A. Y. Aikhenvald (eds.). Adjective Classes: a cross-linguistic typology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 283–305.
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