IV.

Characteristics

While the Austronesian languages are very diverse, they do share some characteristics. In general, the Austronesian languages use affixes (suffixes, infixes, prefixes) attached to base words to modify the meaning or to indicate the function of the word in the sentence. In some languages, particularly in Polynesia, the affixes have become independent particles placed near the base word. Base words often have two syllables. Reduplication is used to indicate plural number and other changes of meaning. Thus, in Malay rumah means “house”, and rumah-rumah means “houses”. Verbal and nominal systems are often complex; in Pilipino, or Tagalog, for example, verbs have three forms of passive voice. Javanese and some other languages have forms of speech for specific social situations (such as informal or deferential). The Formosan languages have borrowed from neighbouring tonal languages and now use some tones to distinguish meaning. Austronesian languages are written either in the Roman alphabet or in their own unique alphabets based on Indian and Arabic scripts.

English words of Austronesian origin include taboo, tattoo, and ukelele (from Polynesian); amok, gingham, and kapok (from Malay); batik and junk (from Javanese); and boondocks, from Pilipino bundok, “mountain”.

Selected statistical data from Ethnologue: Languages of the World, SIL International.