Reconstruction Vocal and Diphthong of Ancient Sulawesi Language (BSP)

Abstract

This study is to reconstruct the ancient vowels and diphthongs from a language that assumed exist in South and West Sulawesi namely South Sulawesi ancient language (BSP). BSP reconstruction is executed using methodology of qualitative comparative with internal reconstruction approach. The criteria for the reconstruction approach is to determine cognate word, looking for phoneme equivalent set, determining recurrence of phonemes and determination the ancient phoneme for language of Makassar (MKS), Bugis (BGS), Massenrempulu (MSP), Toraja (TRJ), and Mandar (MDR). The results for the study shows that the reconstructed BSP has 5 vowel phonemes, ie *i, *u, *o, *?, and *a and 5 diphthong, ie *-ua, *-au, *-oe, *ai and *-uo. The presence of these ancient phonemes both of vowel phonemes or diphthongs phoneme are going regularly and predictably. The presence of several characteristics of sporadic on vowel phonemes BSP *i, *u, *o, *?, *a, and diphthong phonemes *-ua, *-au, *-oe, *ai and *-uo in specific distribution is one characteristic that describes this phenomenon occur was new and hard to explain. However, our initial assumption is this sporadic innovation occurrence is probably caused by the local migrationin the study area that appeared the characteristics of this new innovation. The BSP reconstruction study is a study on the low stage and this study has pioneered efforts to reconstruct BSP at a higher stage, by comparison the phoneme of vowel and diphthongs with the Ancient Polynesian Malay language (PMP).

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n2s1p229