Page 162 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

We can observe sound changes in the assimilation process. For example, the word dua
‘two’ becomes rwo in Mapian Language. The voice change follows the rules of RDL sound
correspondence [two - rua - rwa - rwo]. The same phenomenon also happens with the
word lima ‘five’which became rima in Humuku and limo in Mapian: [rima - lima - limo]. The
loanword tujuh ‘seven’ is pitua in Jabi suggesting its etymology may be from the word pitu.

Austronesian Word English Translation
DUA two
TIGA three
EMPAT four
LIMA five
ENAM six
TUJUH seven
RATUS hundred
RIBU thousand

(f) Plants
Austronesian Word English Translation Borrowed in Form By Non-Austronesian Languages
KACANG peanut [kacang] Sarmi
JAGUNG corn [milu] Sarmi
[melu] Berik

In the semantic field of plants there are only two loanwords: kacang ‘peanut’ and
jagung ‘corn’. There is a possibility that these plants were introduced by Austronesian
groups as tradable or bartered commodities. jagung is borrowed as milu in the Sarmi
language and as melu in the Berik language found in Ternate.

(g) Equipment
Austronesian Word English Translation Borrowed in Form By Non-Austronesian Languages
ALA net [jara] Moi
JANGKAR anchor [jangker] Sarmi
KAPAL boat [kapal] Sarmi
KAPAK axe [kawpak] Uwimerah Tengah,
Downstream

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