Sihan (Sarawak, Malaysia) -- Language Snapshot
- Peter Puxton
Abstract
Sihan (also known as Sian) is a Malayo-Polynesian language of the Austronesian family spoken by approximately 250-300 people who live mainly in the Belaga district of Sarawak, Malaysia. Sihan is also the name of the community who speak the Sihan language and reside in Sihan settlements. In the past, the Sihan were hunter-gatherers; however, nowadays they are settled mainly in three locations in Belaga. The language appears to be similar to other Punan languages, although the degree of mutual intelligibility is difficult to determine as these languages are spoken in widely-dispersed places across Borneo.
Keywords: Mayalo-Polynesian, Austronesian, Belaga, Punan, Borneo
How to Cite:
Puxton, P., (2019) “Sihan (Sarawak, Malaysia) -- Language Snapshot”, Language Documentation and Description 16, 176-181. doi: https://doi.org/10.25894/ldd126
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