Wotu–Wolio languages

The Wotu–Wolio languages are a group of closely related languages spoken in Sulawesi that belong to the Celebic subgroup of the Austronesian family.

Wotu–Wolio
Southern Kaili–Wolio
Geographic distribution	Sulawesi
Linguistic classification	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Celebic Wotu–Wolio
Language codes
Glottolog	wotu1239

Classification

The Wotu–Wolio languages comprise five languages which are grouped into three branches:

• Kalao–Laiyolo, spoken on the Selayar Islands (South Sulawesi).
• Wolio–Kamaru, spoken on Buton Island (Southeast Sulawesi).
• Wotu, spoken in Wotu district (South Sulawesi) at the northern shore of the Bone Gulf.

While in earlier classifications, Wolio, Laiyolo,^[1] and later also Wotu,^[2] were included in the Muna–Buton subgroup,^[3] Donohue (2004) has shown that based on phonological evidence, the Wotu–Wolio languages form a distinct subgroup of their own.^[4]

Mead (2003) included the Wotu–Wolio languages as one out of six branches in the Celebic subgroup.^[5]

Zobel (2020) lists the Wotu–Wolio languages, which he calls Southern Kaili–Wolio, as Ledo, Wotu, Wolio, Kamaru, Kalao, and Loa' (Barang-Barang). Wolio, Kamaru, Kalao, and Loa' (Barang-Barang) make up the Island Kaili–Wolio subgroup within Southern Kaili–Wolio. Ledo has Kaili–Pamona morphological and grammatical features, while its lexicon is mainly of Wotu–Wolio origin. Mamuju is traditionally classified as South Sulawesi, but has a Wotu–Wolio lexical substratum.^[6]

References

1. Esser, S.J. (1938). "Talen". Atlas van Tropisch Nederland. Blad 9a. Batavia: Topografische Dienst.
2. Grimes, C. E.; Grimes, B. E. (1987). Languages of South Sulawesi. Canberra: Department of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University. doi:10.15144/PL-D78. ISBN 0858833522.
3. Noorduyn, J. (1991). "The Languages of Sulawesi". In H. Steinhauer (ed.). Papers in Austronesian linguistics. Pacific Linguistics A-81. Canberra: Australian National University.
4. Donohue, Mark (2004). "The pretenders to the Muna-Buton group". In John Bowden; Nikolaus Himmelmann (eds.). Papers in Austronesian subgrouping and dialectology. Pacific Linguistics 563. Canberra: Australian National University. pp. 21–35. doi:10.15144/PL-563.21.
5. Mead, David. (2003). "Evidence for a Celebic supergroup." In Lynch, John (ed.). Issues in Austronesian historical phonology, pp. 115-141. Canberra: Australian National University. (Pacific Linguistics 550)
6. Zobel, Erik (2020). "The Kaili–Wolio Branch of the Celebic Languages". Oceanic Linguistics. 59 (1/2). University of Hawai'i Press: 297–346. doi:10.1353/ol.2020.0014.

Further reading

• Mead, David; Smith, Joanna. "The voice systems of Wotu, Barang-barang and Wolio: Synchronic and diachronic perspectives". In Malcolm D. Ross; I Wayan Arka (eds.). Language Change in Austronesian languages: papers from 12-ICAL, Volume 3. Asia-Pacific linguistics 018 / Studies on Austronesian languages 004. pp. 51–78. hdl:1885/13386.

External links

• "Wotu-Wolio" at Ethnologue (23rd ed, 2020).