Moribund Language Documentation and Preservation: A Preliminary Study on the Punan Language

Abstract

This study focuses on the Punan language in Punan Bah, Belaga, Sarawak. The Punan language is a language spoken by the Punan people, one of the minority ethnic groups in Sarawak. This study is a preliminary study of the language and acts as an early step in the effort to document and preserve the language. This preliminary study is pivotal in preventing teh language from falling into an endangered phase or becoming moribund. This study also aims to resolve confusion over some terms used to refer to the Punan ethnicity and Punan language. This study was conducted as field-oriented research. The respondents were selected based on several criteria and were native speakers of the Punan language, aged forty and above, and living in the Punan Bah area. Data were collected through interviews and voice recordings. The data include the history and the background of the Punan ethnicity. The outcome of the study shows that the Punan language and ethnicity are different from the Penan language and ethnicity, and these ethnicities belong to two different categories with their own respective identities. From historical and background aspects, the Punan language is spoken in eight long houses, namely Punan Pandan, Punan Jelalong, Punan Mina, Punan Meluyou, Punan Bah, Punan Biau, Punan Sama and Punan Kakus. From a linguistics aspect, it is found that the Punan language has four main variations; daily spoken language, ukiet (folklore), u'a and setuo. Hence, this study will explore the diversity of indigenous languages in Sarawak.