3 - Moklenic, Chamic, Aslian: Ancient Connections

Presentation Abstract

It has long been known that the Peninsular Aslian languages have absorbed Austronesian lexical items that could not have come from Malay. More recently, evidence has emerged that at least some of these items derived at varying times in the past from specifically Moklenic or Chamic sources. The most likely locale for these three linguistic divisions to have entered into a degree of bilingualism is the Isthmian portion of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, especially in relation to its former key role in connecting the Indian and South China seas. I present linguistic, archaeological and other evidence to show that the Isthmus was formerly a key region of early interaction between Austronesian and Austroasiatic. The relevance of this proposal to studies in both of the ‘Austro’ fields will be discussed, as well as to an expanded understanding of the historical situation of Aslian-speakers within Southeast Asia.