Celebic languages

Celebic
Celebic
Geographic; distribution	Sulawesi
Linguistic classification	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Celebic; ;
Subdivisions	Tomini–Tolitoli; Kaili–Pamona; Wotu–Wolio; Saluan–Banggai; Bungku–Tolaki; Muna–Buton;
Language codes
Glottolog	cele1242

The Celebic languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages spoken on the island of Sulawesi, formerly spelled Celebes. Almost all of the languages spoken in the provinces of Central Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi belong to the Celebic group. A few Celebic languages (e.g. Wotu, Bonerate) are located in South Sulawesi province. By number of languages (but not by number of speakers), Celebic is the largest subgroup of Austronesian languages on Sulawesi.

Subgrouping

Internal classification

David Mead (2003a:125) classifies the Celebic languages as follows.^[1]^[2]

Tomini–Tolitoli
Kaili–Pamona
Wotu–Wolio
Eastern
- Saluan–Banggai
- Southeastern
  - Bungku–Tolaki
  - Muna–Buton

Position within Austronesian

At the current stage of research, the Celebic languages are considered to make up a primary branch of the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup within the Austronesian language family.^[3]

Sound changes

David Mead (2003a:125)^[1] lists the following sound changes for Celebic and its subgroups.

1. Proto-Malayo-Polynesian to Proto-Celebic

*C₁C₂ > *C₂ (C₁ not nasal)
*h > Ø
*d > *r
*ay, *-ey > *e
*-aw, *-ew > *o
*j > *y, Ø

2. Proto-Celebic to Proto-Eastern Celebic

*e (schwa) > *o
*-iq > *eq
antepenultimate *a > *o

3. Proto-Eastern Celebic to Proto-Saluan–Banggai

*-awa- > *oa
*-b, *-g > *p, *k
*q > *ʔ

4. Proto-Eastern Celebic to Proto-Southeastern Celebic

*-w- > Ø
*s > *s, *h
*Z > *s
*ñ > n
*b > *b, *w

5. Proto-Southeastern Celebic to Proto-Bungku–Tolaki

*q > *ʔ
*w- > *h
*ʀ > Ø initially and contiguous to *i

6. Proto-Southeastern Celebic to Proto-Muna–Buton

*w > Ø
final consonant loss (?)

References

^ ^a ^b Mead, David (2003a). "Evidence for a Celebic supergroup" (PDF). In Lynch, John (ed.). Issues in Austronesian historical phonology. Pacific Linguistics 550. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University. pp. 115–141.
^ Mead, David (2003b). "The Saluan-Banggai microgroup of eastern Sulawesi" (PDF). In Lynch, John (ed.). Issues in Austronesian historical phonology. Pacific Linguistics 550. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University. pp. 65–86.
^ Smith, Alexander D. (2017). "The Western Malayo-Polynesian Problem". Oceanic Linguistics. 56 (2): 435–490. doi:10.1353/ol.2017.0021.

External links

Celebic languages at Ethnologue (22th ed., 2019).
Classification of Sulawesi languages

[Mead2003a-1] Mead, David (2003a). "Evidence for a Celebic supergroup" (PDF). In Lynch, John (ed.). Issues in Austronesian historical phonology. Pacific Linguistics 550. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University. pp. 115–141.

[2] Mead, David (2003b). "The Saluan-Banggai microgroup of eastern Sulawesi" (PDF). In Lynch, John (ed.). Issues in Austronesian historical phonology. Pacific Linguistics 550. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University. pp. 65–86.

[3] Smith, Alexander D. (2017). "The Western Malayo-Polynesian Problem". Oceanic Linguistics. 56 (2): 435–490. doi:10.1353/ol.2017.0021.

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