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Papers by Malcolm Ross

Historical Linguistics 2013, 2015

This paper re-examines the Proto Austronesian (PAn) split-clitic construction, which has had a co... more This paper re-examines the Proto Austronesian (PAn) split-clitic construction, which has had a considerable influence on the reconstruction of Austronesian morphosyntactic history, suggests that it is a myth, and proposes alternative reconstructions, on the basis of data from Austronesian languages of Taiwan. At the same time the paper exemplifies and reinforces the observation by scholars of historical morphosyntax that cognate constructions across languages need to be identified not only on the basis of syntactic similarity but also on the basis of cognate morphology. Without the latter, there is no strong evidence of cognacy, as similar syntax may occur through parallel development, chance or contact.

Creole Language Library, 2007

An Introduction to Austronesian Studies

Oceanic Linguistics, 1998

... what may be relativized or of whether and when a trace of the relativized NP is ... The state... more ... what may be relativized or of whether and when a trace of the relativized NP is ... The statement at the beginning of the section on the focus marker (y)ang, that ... Starosta, Pawley and Reid [1982])" (175), betrays a misunderstanding of "focus" in western Austronesian languages, a ...

Oceanic Linguistics, 1992

... Tsouic) ?aliUa maCa ko?o tolo tola pito Paiwan (Paiwanic) ?a!iga maCa ka?ilu calu culYa picu ... more ... Tsouic) ?aliUa maCa ko?o tolo tola pito Paiwan (Paiwanic) ?a!iga maCa ka?ilu calu culYa picu Amis (Paiwanic) talira? mata? kutu? tulu tula pitu Bunun (Paiwanic) taija mata? kutu? tau? - pitu? Tagalog (WMP) taira mata kuto ta-tlo - pito Toba Batak (WMP) - mata hutu tolu -pitu ...

Oceanic Linguistics, 1994

Where have all the adjectives gone? and other essays in semantics and syntax.

English Language and Linguistics, 2012

Ross (2009) proposed the Nuclear Austronesian hypothesis, whereby Puyuma, Tsou and Rukai are each... more Ross (2009) proposed the Nuclear Austronesian hypothesis, whereby Puyuma, Tsou and Rukai are each single-member first-order subgroups of Austronesian and all other Austronesian languages belong to a Nuclear Austronesian subgroup. The basis of this subgrouping is a complex innovation whereby certain Proto Austronesian nominalizers came also to mark indicative verbs. This paper falls into two parts. The first surveys kinds of evidence that historical linguists use in subgrouping and proposes metrics (§2) that are then applied to the innovations that support Nuclear Austronesian (§3) and other recent first-order subgroupings of Austronesian (principally Formosan) languages (§4). The second part argues that the commonly accepted Tsouic subgroup, which is incompatible with the Nuclear Austronesian hypothesis, is not supported by the evidence. Instead it reflects longterm contact between Tsou on one hand and Kanakanavu and Saaroa on the other (§5). In conclusion, it is tentatively suggest...

Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society, 2017

This is the first JSEALS special publication since JSEALS became a University of Hawai'i Pres... more This is the first JSEALS special publication since JSEALS became a University of Hawai'i Press publication as of January 2017. The goal of JSEALS special publications is to share collections of linguistics articles, such as select papers from conferences or other special research agendas, as well as to offer a way for linguistic researchers in the greater Southeast Asian region to publish monograph-length works. In this instance, Hsiu-chuan Liao, the primary editor of this publication, requested that papers from the 2015 13-ICAL meeting be published through JSEALS, which we were able to complete in a timely manner. The five papers include works by prominent names in the field of Austronesian historical linguistics.

Oceanic Linguistics, 2007

The comparative method reviewed: regularity and …, 1996

O Contact-induced Change and the Comparative Method: Cases from Papua New Guinea1 MALCOLM D. ROSS... more O Contact-induced Change and the Comparative Method: Cases from Papua New Guinea1 MALCOLM D. ROSS 1 INTRODUCTION The overriding goal of the comparative method is to reconstruct linguistic prehistory and thereby to contribute to human culture history. ...

In this paper I suggest that the system of verbal morphology hitherto reconstructed for Proto Aus... more In this paper I suggest that the system of verbal morphology hitherto reconstructed for Proto Austronesian (PAn) did not yet exist in PAn. Instead, the PAn system more closely resembled the pre-PAn system reconstructed by Ross (1995:749, 2002:40). Evidence in support of this suggestion is drawn mainly from the Formosan language Puyuma (Teng 2008a), which reflects the alleged pre-PAn system rather than the system previously reconstructed for PAn. Additional support is found in Tsou and Rukai, two other Formosan languages whose verbalsystems are more readily derived from the pre-PAn system than the PAn system. A corollary of demoting the reconstructed PAn system to a lower node in the Austronesian tree is that the languages that reflect it belong to a subgroup which excludes Puyuma, Tsou and Rukai. This subgroup, which I dub ‘Nuclear Austronesian’, includes all other Austronesian languages. That is, I claim (somewhat tentatively) that PAn underwent a primary four-way split into Puyuma...

Oceanic Linguistics, 2010

Ross (2009) proposes the Nuclear Austronesian hypothesis, according to which the Formosan languag... more Ross (2009) proposes the Nuclear Austronesian hypothesis, according to which the Formosan languages Puyuma, Rukai, and Tsou are each probably a primary branch of Austronesian and all Austronesian languages other than these three belong to a single, Nuclear Austronesian, branch defined by the nominalization-to-verb innovation originally proposed by Starosta, Pawley, and Reid (1981 Starosta, Pawley, and Reid (1982) for Proto-Austronesian itself. Sagart (2010) argues that there is evidence that Puyuma has also undergone the nominalization-to-verb innovation and is accordingly not a primary branch of Austronesian. In this short paper we show that Sagart’s evidence is based on misanalyses of Puyuma data and that these data do not reflect the nominalization-to-verb innovation. Sagart’s argument against the Nuclear Austronesian hypothesis does not stand up to closer scrutiny.

This paper attempts to provide an explanation for the diachronic development of long vowels in Ar... more This paper attempts to provide an explanation for the diachronic development of long vowels in Arta, a Negrito language spoken in Nagtipunan, Quirino Province, the Philippines. In Arta, a large number of lexical roots and morphologically complex words have long vowels in them, but the items with a long penultimate vowel which are shared with other Philippine languages that retain an older accentual system are reflected as short vowels. Thus, the long vowels seen in Arta should be separated from inherited accents. It is argued that these vowels developed independently in the language by compensatory lengthening and vowel fusion, after the loss of *k, *q, and *h. Since both compensatory lengthening and vowel fusion crucially involve the principle of mora count conservation, the phonological changes which occurred in Arta indicate that the mora has played a significant role in the language.

The purpose of this paper is to apply Croft's (2001) Radical Construction Grammar approach to... more The purpose of this paper is to apply Croft's (2001) Radical Construction Grammar approach to an analysis of the major clause types in Puyuma in order to show how a constructional approach can illuminate the relationship among constructions from a typological perspective. When we compare the Puyuma clause system with that of English, we find the clause systems of the two languages are strikingly different. In English, all major clause types contain a verb and reflect a shared parent construction. On the other hand, Puyuma has three distinct systems: the verbal system, the copula system, and the system based on existential morphemes, and each with its own parent construction(s).

Language and Linguistics

Although morphological innovations are usually regarded as important in reconstructing the histor... more Although morphological innovations are usually regarded as important in reconstructing the histories of language families, relatively little attention has been paid to the reconstruction of Proto Austronesian (PAn) verbal morphology, and this paper aims to take a step in this direction. Morphological classes of verbs have been reconstructed for several Formosan languages, and this paper offers a preliminary reconstruction of PAn verb classes, examines the challenges inherent in that reconstruction and offers tentative responses to them. The final section takes a brief look at how the reconstruction of PAn verb classes permits the establishment of morphological innovations and casts light on the subgrouping of Austronesian languages.

Language, 2005

A straightforward guide to grammar for English-speaking students of the Javanese language, this c... more A straightforward guide to grammar for English-speaking students of the Javanese language, this compact book explains the structure and use of Javanese grammar, with many practical examples.

Oceanic Linguistics, 1996

Page 1. ON THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM "MALAYO-POLYNESIAN" COMPILED BY MALCOLM ROSS ... more Page 1. ON THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM "MALAYO-POLYNESIAN" COMPILED BY MALCOLM ROSS It is probably quite well known that the term "Austronesian" was devised by the Austrian priest Fr. ... The Hague: Mouton. Pritchard, James Cowles. 1842. ...

Historical Linguistics 2013, 2015

Creole Language Library, 2007

An Introduction to Austronesian Studies

Oceanic Linguistics, 1998

Oceanic Linguistics, 1992

Oceanic Linguistics, 1994

Where have all the adjectives gone? and other essays in semantics and syntax.

English Language and Linguistics, 2012

Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society, 2017

Oceanic Linguistics, 2007

The comparative method reviewed: regularity and …, 1996

Oceanic Linguistics, 2010

Language and Linguistics

Language, 2005

Oceanic Linguistics, 1996

LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS- …, 2005

There is quite a longstanding convention whereby Formosan languages (the Austronesian languages o... more There is quite a longstanding convention whereby Formosan languages (the Austronesian languages of Taiwan) are described using a framework and terminology developed by linguists working on the Austronesian languages of the Philippines. Linguists using this terminology talk, for example, about the 'focus system' of verbal constructions and about the 'topic' of the clause. Because this terminology is (i) unfamiliar to linguists working outside Taiwan and the Philippines and (ii) deficient in certain respects (it is often unclear, for example, what the function of the 'topic' is), descriptions of Formosan and Philippine languages using this terminology are sometimes somewhat opaque and rather difficult for other linguists to read.

Concentric: Studies in Linguistics, 2005

The purpose of this paper is to apply Croft's (2001) Radical Construction Grammar approach t... more The purpose of this paper is to apply Croft's (2001) Radical Construction Grammar approach to an analysis of the major clause types in Puyuma in order to show how a constructional approach can illuminate the relationship among constructions from a typological perspective. When ...

Oceanic Linguistics, 2010

Annual Review of Anthropology, 1993

... and younger same-sex siblings or separate male and female terms for cross-siblings. ... resea... more ... and younger same-sex siblings or separate male and female terms for cross-siblings. ... research in AN historical linguistics that carries implications for culture history, focusing equally ... Which features of a particular culture (contemporary or attested by archaeological or linguistic ...

Oceanic Linguistics, 2011

This paper argues for the reconstruction of a rounded velar protophoneme *kw in Proto-Oceanic. Th... more This paper argues for the reconstruction of a rounded velar protophoneme *kw in Proto-Oceanic. This protophoneme occurred, however, in few lexical items. In those reconstructed to date, it always appears before *a and always, with one possible exception, word-initially. The paper concludes with a discussion of the probable status of *kw in Proto-Oceanic.

Language, 1993

An academic directory and search engine.

Oceanic Linguistics, 1994

Oceanic Linguistics, 1998

Page 1. PROTO-OCEANIC ADJECTIVAL CATEGORIES AND THEIR MORPHOSYNTAX MALCOLM ROSS RESEARCH SCHOOL O... more Page 1. PROTO-OCEANIC ADJECTIVAL CATEGORIES AND THEIR MORPHOSYNTAX MALCOLM ROSS RESEARCH SCHOOL OF PACIFIC AND ASIAN STUDIES AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY Probably all languages ...

Oceanic Linguistics, 1998

... Ngero family 3.3.2 Vitiaz linkage 3.3.2.I Bel family 3.3.2.2 Mangap-Mbula 3.3.2.3 (various la... more ... Ngero family 3.3.2 Vitiaz linkage 3.3.2.I Bel family 3.3.2.2 Mangap-Mbula 3.3.2.3 (various languages in and around the Vitiaz Strait) 3.3.2.4 Southwest New Britain linkage 3.3.2.5 Mengen family 4. Sarmi/Jayapura family of the north coast of Irian Jaya (may belong to the NNG ...

Oceanic Linguistics, 2003

Oceanic Linguistics, 2001

... bila 'shatter st' ma-mbila 'be shattered' dare 'crack st' ma-nd... more ... bila 'shatter st' ma-mbila 'be shattered' dare 'crack st' ma-ndare 'be cracked' kamue 'snap, break st' ma-kamue 'be broken' londo 'break st'. ma-londo 'broken' uli 'untie st' ma-uliuli 'frayed (rope)' teri 'loosen st' ma-teriteri 'loose' vokati 'open st' ma-voka 'open' ...

Oceanic Linguistics, 2000

Page 1. Symposium Series of the Institute of Linguistics (Preparatory Office) Academia Sinica Num... more Page 1. Symposium Series of the Institute of Linguistics (Preparatory Office) Academia Sinica Number 1 Selected Papers from the Eighth International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics Editors Elizabeth Zeitoun and Paul Jen-kuei Li Taipei, Taiwan May 1999 Page 2. ...

Motives for Language Change, 2003

There is quite a longstanding convention whereby Formosan languages (the Austronesian languages o... more There is quite a longstanding convention whereby Formosan languages (the Austronesian languages of Taiwan) are described using a framework and termi-nology developed by linguists working on the Austronesian languages of the Philippines. Linguists using this terminology talk, for example, about the 'focus system' of verbal constructions and about the 'topic' of the clause. Because this terminology is (i) unfamiliar to linguists working outside Taiwan and the Philippines and (ii) deficient in certain respects (it is often unclear, for example, what the function of the 'topic' is), descriptions of Formosan and Philippine languages using this terminology are sometimes somewhat opaque and rather difficult for other linguists to read. In this paper we attempt to re-frame the description of certain aspects of the morphosyntax of Formosan languages in terms more familiar to typologists and to linguists working in other parts of the world. Among other things, the noti...

Page 1. Takia interclausal relations Takia interclausal relations Malcolm Ross Malcolm.Ross@ anu.... more Page 1. Takia interclausal relations Takia interclausal relations Malcolm Ross Malcolm.Ross@ anu.edu.au Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies and Centre for Research on Language Change, The Australian National University Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica ...

Oceanic Linguistics, 2007

... oPapuanp is a residual category, a label for all non-Austronesian and non-Australian language... more ... oPapuanp is a residual category, a label for all non-Austronesian and non-Australian languages spoken in a region centered on New Guinea but ... It seems evident that PTM retained the POC determiner in its NP construction, but it has been lost as a separate morpheme in all the ...

Oceanic Linguistics, 1999

LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS-TAIPEI-, 2004

Oceanic Linguistics, 2010

Paper for presentation at the symposium Historical …, 2006