Page 202 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

Bird’s Head region (Tehit and Moi languages) associate them with languages of North
Halmahera and then draw the links between the two languages. In this way, Voorhoeve
found genetic linguistic linkages between the two regions. The heuristic study conducted
by Verhoeven aims to see the linkage between these two regions. Although it is based
on a method that can be accounted for, the research is contested. Verhoeve (1984: 82)
concluded that Proto North Halmahera had a close relationship with the languages that
existed in the Bird’s Head region in Papua. He hypothesized that in prehistoric times Bird’s
Head area was a place of origin of non-Austronesian languages that spread to the west.
At that time, proto North Halmahera was also spoken in Kepala Burung region and on the
islands in the western part. It was assumed that the arrival of Malayo-Polynesian speakers
caused proto North Halmahera communities to move west and there was a breakaway
group that settled on the island of Makian. The descendants were known as speakers of
Makian West. The other group continued their journey towards North Halmahera and to
islands of the west. Before reaching there, the speakers of proto north Halmahera were
thought to have made contact with the speakers of Austronesian languages of Oceania.
In Halmahera, their languages came into contact with the Philippino speakers, especially
the ancestors’ language of Sangihe-Talaud speakers. Furthermore, their languages came
into contact with speakers of Austronesian languages who were assumed to come from
Biak. We conclude that non-Austronesian languages in North Halmahera originated from
the Bird’s Head area while the influence of Austronesian languages can be observed in its
speakers who settled in South Halmahera and the surrounding islands.

Mythology that Unites Austronesian Groups in Different Regions
Teljeur (1984) conducted research on mythology in South Halmahera, particularly in Foya
and Mafa villages (also known as Boli) in which the distance between the two villages was
about a half hour walk, as was the case with Waropen in Papua. Foya and Mafa villages
were located on the gulf coast of Weda where people of these two villages spoke the Weda
language which was still related to languages in Central Halmahera. Foya speakers were
also found on the inland by the Foya River. This Foya group was actually closely related to
the Weda language, while the other Foya group living on the gulf coast of Weda was more
influenced by the Ternate language. He explained that the language spoken in Foya and Mafa
belonged to the Austronesian language group of South Halmahera and West Papua (West
Irian Jaya at the time) sub-groups (Teljeur, 1984: 212). It was influenced by Waropen people
who lived in the bay of Cenderawasih, like Foya and Mapa people, who spoke a language that

202 Chapter 4

MELANESIA BOOK FA LAYOUT 051216.indd 202 2/10/17 2:10 PM