‘Comparative Berawan Glossary’ another step forward in preserving indigenous languages

Hii (centre) during the launch of the Comparative Berawan Glossary in Miri on July 13, 2024.

By Tedong Rantayy

MIRI, July 13: A momentous event in the preservation of indigenous languages took place today with the launch of the Comparative Berawan Glossary.

The book, authored by Dr Jurgen Martin Burkhardt, Jey Lingem Burkhardt, and Lay Hoon Ang, was published by UM Press and officially launched by Kelvin Hii, special assistant to Miri Mayor Adam Yii Siew Sang.

The glossary is a compilation featuring approximately 4,800 lexical items, representing around 1,200 words for each of the four Berawan lects.

Each entry is presented in a linguistically sound and community-approved unified orthography. This glossary is a significant step towards preserving the traditional Berawan lifestyle, particularly its rich vocabulary pertaining to flora, fauna, animals, and birds native to their settlement areas.

Yii, though unable to attend the event, conveyed his support through a text speech read by Hii.

In his message, Yii praised the success of the glossary launch programme and emphasised the importance of community involvement in maintaining and promoting the Berawan language.

He acknowledged the invaluable contributions of the Berawan chiefs and the broader community in preserving this unique linguistic heritage.

“We are immensely grateful to linguistic researchers such as Dr Jurgen Martin Burkhardt for their dedication to working with the Berawan tribe on language development.

“This partnership is crucial in our ongoing efforts to document and revitalise a language that has primarily existed in oral form until now,” he added.

The glossary is organised into meaningful semantic categories, with glosses provided in both English and Malay.

It also includes insightful information about the history of the Berawan language, its phonological system, current settlements, and the standardised orthography used.

This dual-language approach ensures accessibility for a broader audience and fosters a deeper understanding of the Berawan linguistic heritage.

Norfaezan Abdul Jalil, a representative from Dewan dan Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, was also present at the event. — DayakDaily