Reconstructing the geocentric system of Proto Oceanic

Alexandre François (1)

1 LACITO - Langues et civilisations à tradition orale

The comparison of sixteen Austronesian languages, regarding the absolute coordinates they use in space reference, makes it possible to propose a historical hypothesis regarding the geocentric system of Proto Oceanic: on land, one up-down axis defined by the declivity of the ground; at sea, a second up-down axis motivated by the prevailing trade winds. After reconstructing the system of POc, I model the principal paths of evolution which historically derived from it and led to the diverse systems attested in modern Oceanic languages.

Mots clés: space; directionals; geocentric reference; deixis; historical reconstruction; Proto-Oceanic; Oceanic languages

Domaines: Linguistique

Alexandre François. Reconstructing the geocentric system of Proto Oceanic. Oceanic Linguistics, 2004, 43 (1), pp.1-32. ⟨halshs-00526846⟩