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in Bowden’s other research that is a study on the Taba language (of the Austronesian group)
number1000 is referred to as ‘calan’. Basic numbers are 1-10 and above these numbers are
repetitions. Nai moi is one, nomodidi is two, and eleven is nyagi moi denga moi and twelve
is nyagi moi denga didi.
It can be concluded that in North Maluku, characteristics of Austronesian and non-
Austronesian are mixed here and there. The Sahu language and West Makian which are
non-Austronesian, for example, still have some of the characteristics of the Austronesian.
Many words are borrowed from the Sahu language sub-group, namely Sahu, Gamkonora,
and Waioli language while the Ternate-Tidore language included in the Austronesian
language group still has characteristics of non-Austronesian which does not have gender
form as in West Makian language.
Linguistic conditions showing loss of certain characteristics of non-Austronesian
from its group and the existence of Austronesian characteristics in that language made
Voorhoeve (1983: 20) suspect the influence of Austronesian hypothetically caused by
genetic linkage.

Language and Genetic Links
Genetic linkage between North Maluku and Papua, especially in the western part, occurs
not only in the aspects of language as underlined by Voorhoeve as mentioned above but
also can be indicated by myths that have similar themes and motifs between North Maluku,
in this case South Halmahera, with West Papua (Teljeur, 1984). Genetic linkage can only be
known from the assumptions about the origin of language through certain methods.
Voorhoeve (1984) in his article “Comparative Linguistics and West Papuan Phylum”
said that the methodological steps taken must have ‘heuristic’ value (Poespowardojo and
Seran, 2015: 113-114). ‘Heuristic’, which is derived from the Greek word eurike, can explain
that science emerged as an invention or discovery which in turn came to genetics (origin)
of science. In conjunction with linguistic aspects, Voorhoeve (1984: 65) questioned the
genetic linkage between languages in North Maluku with languages in Western and Central
parts of Kepala Burung in Papua. Ideally, there is a comparison between the linguistic
features of the languages in the two regions. Unfortunately, the data for comparison is
insufficient, so he performed a reconstruction of the existing languages. First of all, he
made an inventory of consonants of languages in North Halmahera reconstructed as
proto North Halmahera. This kind of reconstruction has a heuristic value. The next step
is the reconstruction of proto sounds along with the vocabulary of the languages of the

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