URGENSI STUDI LINGUISTIK HISTORIS BAHASA SUBRUMPUN HALMAHERA SELATAN-PAPUA BARAT

Abstract

This paper intends to explain two issues that the rationales for the importance of investigating South Halmahera-West New Guinea (SHWNG) languages from linguistic-historical perspective and that if so which of its aspects are feasible for further investigation? To provide scientific answer for this enquiry, diverse ranges of relevant and recent literature have been reviewed. The data from lietature review were gathered using observation method and were analyzed qualitatively through data reduction, organization and interpretation

Review of lietarture suggests the importance for investigating South Halmahera-West New Guinea (SHWNG) languages from linguistic-historical perspective for six reasons. First, the evidence for grouping the main Austronesian (AN) languages that of which include SHWNG proposed by Blust (2013) is considered theoretically weak.Second, the geographical position and existence of SHSPB is still debatable. From positional point of view, while Esser (1938) and Salzner (1968) put SHWNG equal with other Indonesian language groups, Blust (2013) put it at otherwise. From the existence point of view, Dyen (1983) stipulatesthe non-existence of this sub-language, while Blust (2013) confirms its existence. Third, the position of SHSPB in Blust’s (2013) grouping is that of proximate to Oceania, yet the observation of protofonem from the main AN in Blust(2013) reveals that the protofonem is closely tied to Central Malaya-Polinesia. Fourth, the absence of agreement among linguists toward the characteristics of SHSPB: among those 4 characteristics proposed by Adriani dan Kruyt (1914), 7 of which proposed byBlust (1993), 9 of that proposed by Ross (1994), and 7 of those by Kamholz (2014), only single charateritic found to be similar. Fifth, the eviedence supporting the existence of sub-group members within SHSPB is insufficent. Sixth, the coverage of membership and the level of language kinship among language members in SHSPB remain blure. For this reason, the study of historical linguistic is intended to cover two aspects that (1) to determine the relationship between SHWNG and other sub-groups – of among SHWNG groups – and the kinship levels among languages within SHWNG, and (2) to reconstruct the proto language of SHWNG and that of language groups within SHWNG.

Keys words: Linguistic historic; level of kinship; proto language; protofonem