Name That Language!

[hwhatting]

Is it Austronesian?

[Karch]

Is it Austronesian?

It is indeed Austronesian!

[hwhatting]

Malayo-Polynesian?

[Karch]

Malayo-Polynesian?

Yeah.

[Travis B.]

Is the language spoken in the Philippines?

[Karch]

Is the language spoken in the Philippines?

No.

[hwhatting]

Borneo?

[Karch]

Borneo?

Yeah.

[Glass Half Baked]

So it's spoken in Borneo, but is basically identical to languages from Mindanao. That narrows it down to the Sama-Bajaw languages. Unfortunately, I don't have enough documentation to guess a specific language. So I'll just guess Sama.

[Karch]

So it's spoken in Borneo, but is basically identical to languages from Mindanao. That narrows it down to the Sama-Bajaw languages. Unfortunately, I don't have enough documentation to guess a specific language. So I'll just guess Sama.

It's not Sama, nor is it a Sama-Bajaw language.

[Karch]

I miss this game but do not have a penchant for choosing good texts - usually it's either too easy or too obscure, rarely the ideal midpoint. The text above was in Embaloh. This could've been guessable by eliminating and/or by familiarity with the languages of the area - the Tamanic languages are most closely related to Buginese, in Sulawesi, and indeed look like Buginese with some vowel deletion to better conform to the usual syllable structure of the area (this, coincidentally, makes them look kinda Philippine).

Anyway, here's a new text, this time hopefully easier.

Siya lago mile mile woale Lishemwagiure me Ilatugefai re fititiye. Reloge woale Mwetange. Laiuli tiwe semaliu tarimwale regale seoriu bwe Maruwa me Ngifatale. Resa loge yee re tugefai tiwe nge iwe semoiu lago resa butoge gasi Maruwa bwe laiure. Nge ie Ngifatale yeloge shagiu reli Ilatugefai me Lishemwagiure. Resa loge woale Mwetange.

[bradrn]

Hmm. ⟨mw bw⟩ pretty much limits it to Africa or Oceania, but it doesn’t look Oceanian. So, Niger-Congo?

[Karch]

It isn't Niger-Congo.

[hwhatting]

One step back - is it an African language?

[Karch]

One step back - is it an African language?

It is not!

[bradrn]

Right, then it’s got to be Oceanic.

[Karch]

Right, then it’s got to be Oceanic.

And it indeed is Oceanic!

[bradrn]

New Caledonian, right?

[Karch]

New Caledonian, right?

No.