Proto-Western Malayo-Polynesian vocatives

Blust, Robert

doi:10.1163/22134379-90002556

Cited by 8 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Skeat (1900) reports a number of Malay beliefs in animal transformation, but does not always distinguish clearly between contemporary transformations and ones relating solely to mythical origins.' Since both the languages of Flores and Nuaulu have been classified as members of a Central Malayo-Polynesian group (Blust 1979), while Malay is a Western Malayo-Polynesian language, the appearance of several unequivocal instances of a belief in contemporary zoological metamorphosis among Malays however shows that such ideas are not confined to just one part of the Austronesian-speaking region. At the same time, evidence for the belief is lacking in standard works on Borneo (see e.g.…”

Section: Preliminary Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

On Deer and Dolphins: Nage Ideas Regarding Animal Transformation

Forth

1998

Oceania

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According to the Nage of eastern Indonesia, certain animals regularly transform into animals of another kind. Similar beliefs—specified here as notions of ‘contemporary zoological transformation’—have been documented for Malays and at least one other Indonesian society, as well as for the Kalam and Rofaifo of New Guinea. Referring to interpretations by ethnographers of these other societies, the paper analyses the Nage beliefs in regard to their connection with observation of zoological kinds. Attention is also given to their possible utilitarian value, connection with ethnozoological classification, and relation to similar yet distinct transformations encountered in myth and spiritual representations. Drawing on Atran's thesis (1990), it is concluded that Nage beliefs in contemporary animal transformation posit changes of essence and are in this sense counter‐intuitive. At the same time, certain ontological features demonstrate that the beliefs cannot be accommodated to a category of mythological or religious representations, and that in several respects they share more in common with modern scientific thought.

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Section: Preliminary Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%