Nhaheun - French - English Lexicon
by Michel Ferlus (Paris)
Edited and Annotated by Pascale Jacq and Paul Sidwell
University of Melbourne
The present volume is a lexicon of Nhaheun, with glosses in French and English, and etymological commentary in English. There are more than 1500 entries. In total there are 160 pages, including introduction, transcription guide and semantic index. Nhaheun is a West Bahnaric language, and Bahnaric itself is a branch of Mon-Khmer. Nhaheun is presently spoken by plantation farmers on the Boloven Plateau in the south of the Lao PDR. Materials for the lexicon were collected in the 1960s and 70s, but until now have not appeared in a consolidated listing. To our knowledge existing published sources are not as extensive as this list. Nhaheun is phonologically divergent among West Bahnaric languages, in particular showing consonant lenitions which are not shared by its close relatives. Also Nhaheun is under strong Lao influence. The lexicon is intended as a useful reference and data source for comparative linguistics. The latter is especially strengthened by the inclusion of extensive etymological commentary by the editors, who are specialists in Bahnaric historical phonology and lexicography.
ISBN 9783929075564. Languages of the World/Dictionaries 16. 150 pp. 1998.
