TheMelanau–Kajang languages orCentral Sarawak languages are a group of languages spoken inKalimantan,Indonesia andSarawak,Malaysia by theKenyah,Melanau and related peoples.

Smith (2017)^[1] uses the termCentral Sarawak, and puts it as an independent branch within theGreater North Borneo subgroup. He classifies the languages as follows.

• Melanau (Dalat, Sarikei, Mukah, Balingian, Matu, Sibu, Kanowit)
• Kajang (Kejaman,Sekapan,Lahanan)
• Punan–Müller-Schwaner
  • Punan
    • Punan Bah, Punan Tubu, Sajau
    • Punan Lisum, Punan Aput, Beketan, Ukit, Buket
  • Müller-Schwaner
    • Hovongan
    • Kereho,Aoheng,Seputan

Kaufman (2018) notes that many Proto-Central Sarawak words (Smith 2017) are of likelyAustroasiatic origin, including the following (Note: The Austroasiatic branch reconstructions are fromPaul Sidwell's reconstructions; Proto-Pearic is from Headley (1985)^[2]).^[3]

• *siaw ‘chicken’ (cf. Proto-Khasic *sʔiar; Proto-Khmuic *(s)ʔiər)
• *tilaŋ ‘tiger leech’ (cf. Proto-Katuic *ɟləəŋ)
• *(ə)liŋ ‘saliva’

Proto-Kajang words of likely Austroasiatic origin:

• *diə̯k ‘chicken’ (cf. Proto-Pearic *hlɛːk)
• *(u)bəl ‘mute’ (cf. Proto-Bahnaric *kmlɔː)

Proto-Müller-Schwaner words of likely Austroasiatic origin:

• *ənap ‘fish scale’

• Rensch, Calvin R. 2012.Melanau and the Languages of Central Sarawak. SIL Electronic Survey Report. SIL International.

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