Barito languages


The Barito languages are around twenty Dayak languages of Borneo, Southern Philippines, plus Malagasy, the national language of Madagascar. They are named after the Barito River. The Malagasy language originated from Southeast Barito language, and Ma'anyan language is its closest relative, with numerous Malay and Javanese loanwords. It known that Ma'anyan people were brought as labourer and slaves by Malay and Javanese people in their trading fleets, which reached Madagascar by ca. 50-500 AD.
The Barito subgroup was first proposed by Hudson, comprising the three branches East Barito, West Barito, and Mahakam . It is thought by some to be a Sprachbund rather than a genuine clade. For example, Adelaar rejects Barito as a valid group despite accepting less traditional groups such as North Bornean and Malayo-Sumbawan.

Greater Barito

Blust proposes that the Sama-Bajaw languages also derive from the Barito lexical region, though not from any established group, and Ethnologue has followed, calling the resulting group 'Greater Barito'.
Smith proposes a Greater Barito linkage with the following branches, and considers Basap to be a sister of the Greater Barito linkage, forming a Basap–Greater Barito group.