Temiar language

Temiar is a Central Aslian (Mon–Khmer) language spoken in Western Malaysia by the Temiar people. The Temiar are one of the most numerous Aslian-speaking peoples, numbering around 30,000 in 2017.^[2]

Name

Etymologically, the word "Temiar" means "edge" or "side". This meaning reflects the way in which Temiars describe themselves as "people of the edge, outside, [i.e. jungle]."^[3]

Phonology

Vowels

Consonants

Morphosyntax

Noun Phrase

The noun phrase is (pro)noun initial followed by modifiers and demonstratives or possessor pronouns. Pronouns may not be modified by another pronoun.^[4] There are three allomorphic classes of pronouns (stressed unstressed, and bound). Stressed third person pronouns must occur with a demonstrative (and hence only occur as unstressed or as bound morphemes on the demonstrative (e.g. na-doh 'he-here' or ʔun-tu:y 'they-elsewhere.'^[4]

Verb Phrase

The verb phrase is ordered as sentential negation, auxiliary verb and main verb. The verb phrase precedes the subject.^[4]

References

Further reading

• Benjamin, Geoffrey. 2011. "Deponent verbs and middle-voice nouns in Temiar." In: Sophana Srichampa & Paul Sidwell (eds), Austroasiatic Studies: Papers from ICAAL4 (=Mon-Khmer Studies, Special Issue no. 2), Canberra: Pacific Linguistics E-8, pp. 11–37. ISBN 9780858836419 (electronic document)
• Benjamin, Geoffrey. 2012. "The Temiar causative (and related features)." Mon-Khmer Studies 41: 32–45. ISSN 0147-5207 (online).
• Benjamin, Geoffrey. 2014. "Aesthetic elements in Temiar grammar." In: Jeffrey Williams (ed.), The Aesthetics of Grammar: Sound and Meaning in the Languages of Mainland Southeast Asia, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 36–60. ISBN 9781107007123 (print, hard cover), ISBN 9781107496309 (eBook, 2013). doi:10.1017/CBO9781139030489.004

External links

• http://projekt.ht.lu.se/rwaai RWAAI (Repository and Workspace for Austroasiatic Intangible Heritage)
• http://hdl.handle.net/10050/00-0000-0000-0003-D44A-D@view Temiar in RWAAI Digital Archive

• v
• t
• e

Languages of Malaysia

Main

Official	Malaysian English comparison with British English

Families

• Austroasiatic
  • Aslian
• Austronesian
  • North Bornean
  • Kayan–Murik
  • Land Dayak
  • Malayic
  • Philippine
  • Sama–Bajaw
• Tai-Kadai
  • Tai

Natives &
Indigenous

Nationwide	Malay
Peninsular Malaysia	Batek Cheq Wong Duanoʼ Jah Hut Jahai Jakun Jedek Judeo-Malay2 Kedah Malay Kelantan-Pattani Malay Kenaboi1 Kensiu Kintaq Kristang Lanoh Mah Meri Minriq Mintil Negeri Sembilan Malay Mos Orang Kanaq Orang Seletar Pahang Malay Perak Malay Reman Malay Sabüm1 Semai Semaq Beri Semelai Semnam Southern Thai Temiar Temoq2 Temuan Terengganu Malay Wila'1
East Malaysia	Abai Bahau Bajau Belait Berawan Biatah Bintulu Bonggi Bookan Bruneian/Kedayan Malay Brunei Bisaya Bukar–Sadong Bukitan Coastal Kadazan Daro-Matu Dumpas Dusun Eastern Kadazan Ganaʼ Iban Ida'an Jagoi Jangkang Kajaman Kalabakan Kanowit Kayan Kelabit Kendayan Keningau Murut Kinabatangan Kiput Klias River Kadazan Kota Marudu Talantang Kuijau Lahanan Lelak1 Lengilu1 Lotud Lun Bawang Mainstream Kenyah Melanau Momogun Murik Kayan Narom Nonukan Tidong Okolod Paluan Papar Punan Bah-Biau Punan Batu2 Penan Remun Sa'ban Sabah Bisaya Sama Sarawak Malay Sebop Sekapan Selungai Murut Sembakung Seru1 Serudung Sian Sungai Tagol Timugon Tombonuwo Tring Tringgus Tutoh Ukit2 Umaʼ Lasan

Significant
minority

Chinese	Sino-Tibetan Yue Cantonese Malaysian Cantonese Hakka Min Eastern Min Fuqing Fuzhou Hainanese Pu-Xian Min Southern Min Hokkien Southern Peninsular Malaysian Hokkien Penang Hokkien Chaoshan Min Teochew Mandarin Chinese Malaysian Mandarin
Indian	Dravidian Malayalam Tamil Malaysian Tamil Telugu Indo-European Gujarati Hindi Punjabi Urdu
Indonesian archipelago	Acehnese Banjar Baweanese Buginese Javanese Kerinci Mandailing Minangkabau Rawa
Philippine	Philippine Iranun Maranao Molbog Suluk
Others	Cham

Creoles

• Chavacano
• Kristang
• Manglish
• Malay trade and creole languages
  • Baba Malay
  • Chetty Malay
  • Cocos Malay
  • Sabah Malay

Mixed & Others

• Rojak
• Tanglish
• Esperanto

Immigrants

• African
• Arab
• Bangladeshi
• Burmese
• Cambodian
• East Timorese
• Filipino
• Indonesian
  • comparison with Malaysian
• Iranian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Laotian
• Nepalese
• Pakistani
• Sri Lankan
• Thai
• Vietnamese

Signs

Main	Malaysian Sign Language Manually Coded Malay
By states	Penang Sign Language Selangor Sign Language

• ¹ Extinct languages
• ² Nearly extinct languages