Abstract The Aslian languages are spoken by hunter-gatherer and swidden-based communities in the interior of the Malay Peninsula and southern Thailand. Acehnese, by contrast, is a Chamic language that separated from its mainland relatives at least one thousand years ago and is now spoken along the northern coast of Sumatra. Although the two language groups are currently separated by the Strait of Malacca, a notable number of shared or similar lexical items appear when their vocabularies are compared. Some Aslian-like forms in Acehnese reflect Austroasiatic heritage inherited through Proto-Chamic, but many others suggest direct or indirect contact between Acehnese and Aslian-speaking groups, possibly mediated by Malayic speakers who historically dominated mobility and exchange across Sumatra, Borneo, and the Malay Peninsula. This study investigates the possibility of Acehnese-Aslian contact through a comparative analysis of lexical material from both groups. Thirty-three wordsets are examined to distinguish inherited forms from potential borrowings and to identify patterns of correspondence involving Chamic, Malayic, and Austroasiatic languages. The findings indicate multiple layers of contact signals and point to historical interactions between Acehnese and Aslian communities, either directly or through Malayic intermediaries. A historical explanation for these patterns is proposed, and directions for future comparative and reconstruction work are outlined.
Abstract This study explores Arabic-origin loanwords in Northern Talyshi, addressing a significant gap in existing scholarship. Although the Talyshi language has been the subject of linguistic research for nearly two centuries, its lexicon – particularly borrowed vocabulary – remains largely understudied. Prior work has focused mainly on phonology, morphology, and syntax, with only partial etymological treatment of inherited vocabulary. The items discussed here did not enter the language through direct contact with Arabic but through long-standing mediation via Persian and, more recently, Azerbaijani. This research contributes to the understanding of language contact and lexical evolution in Northern Talyshi by systematically analyzing Arabic loans. Thirteen issues of the Tolışon Sədo newspaper (2011–2023), encompassing various genres – from publicistic articles to folklore and poetry – serve as the corpus for analysis. The study identifies patterns of usage and examines the nativization of Arabic-origin items into the Northern Talyshi lexicon.
Résumé Cette étude examine le traitement différentiel de certaines géminations consonantiques dans l’espagnol caribéen colombien, à l’intersection des dynamiques de contact linguistique et des hiérarchies sociales. À partir d’une enquête qualitative menée à Santa Marta, un métaterme local – golpeado (« frappé ») – est identifié comme désignant de façon stigmatisante certaines géminations, notamment celles consécutives à une liquide implosive (/l/, /R/). Un test perceptif contrôlé mené auprès d’un second groupe confirme que seules les assimilations de ces segments, historiquement associées au contact avec les langues nigéro-congolaises, suscitent une disqualification sociale, tandis que d’autres géminations analogues passent inaperçues. L’analyse articule les concepts d’indexicalité, de rhématisation et d’effacement pour montrer que la perception linguistique est orientée par des attentes sociales et des stéréotypes raciaux. Ce travail plaide pour une approche critique de la linguistique de contact, intégrant les dimensions idéologiques de la réception phonétique dans les contextes postcoloniaux.
Differential Object Marking ( DOM ) is observed in Tukanoan languages of Northwest Amazonia, where certain direct objects receive distinct marking based on their semantic or pragmatic properties. Tariana (Arawak) in the Vaupés area exhibits differential case-marking influenced by contact with Tukano. Similar patterns are seen in the languages of Caquetá-Putumayo ( C - P ) region, home to Witotoan, Boran, Arawak, and Andoke peoples, suggesting shared grammatical features due to contact. DOM emerges as a significant category in C - P languages, with variations in triggering parameters such as definiteness and animacy. This study offers the first detailed areal analysis of C - P DOM systems, highlighting their diversity. The findings contribute to typological research, addressing a gap in understanding DOM in Northwest Amazonia and showcasing linguistic interactions and diversity in the region.
This paper investigates codeswitching among migrants who have returned and settled in their home village of Montefalcione, in the province of Avellino (South of Italy), from the English cities of Bedford and Peterborough. From a linguistic point of view, returnees are multilinguals who spent their childhood in a migrant setting, during which time they were exposed both to their family language(s) and the dominant language of the society. They subsequently moved back to their families’ country and are, thus, no longer exposed to their L2. The data was collected from 1st and 2nd of returnees. The paper focuses on codeswitching to English in these two groups. The results of the study provide evidence that insertion is the predominant pattern of codeswitching and is primarily related to specific domains (work, society, food …). The data highlight that the semantic specificity described by Backus (2001) plays a crucial role in insertion pattern also in returnees.
