Norafidah Tajuddin, Noor Aishah Salleh, Roshidah
Hassan
Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University
Malaya,
<norafidah@um.edu.my>,
<nooras@um.edu.my>, <roshidah@um.edu.my>
A Comparative Study of
Adjectives in Two Austroasiatic Languages in Penisular
In Penisular Malaysia the indigenous people are
anthropologically classified into 3 groups; the Negritos, the Senois and the
Proto-Malays. However based on linguistics grouping they are divided into two;
the Austronesian group and the Austroasiatic group. Speakers of the
Austronesian group are mainly the Temuan and the Jakuns. Whereas the
Austroasiatic group includes the Semai, Jahut, Mah Meri and Semelai. The
Austroasiatic group which is said to be related to the Mon-Khmer language
branch is the bigger of the two groups.
Thus this paper will look at
the adjectives used by two Austroasiatic languages in the Penisular which are
the Mah Meri and the Semelai. It is hypothesized that there will be some
differences and similarities in the adjectives used by the two communities. The
reason being the Mah Meri people in this study are found in the coastal areas of
Sepang, Selangor and they are surrounded by the Selangor dialect Malay
speakers. Whereas the Semelai in this study are found in the inland areas of
Negeri Sembilan and are surrounded by the Minangkabau and Negeri Sembilan
dialect Malay speakers. Therefore it is assumed that there will be some
differences and similarities in the adjectives used by these two groups even
though they belong to the Mon Khmer branch of the Austroasiatic family due to
language assimilation and borrowing.