Enumeration and Classifiers in Pulau Simeulue Pulau Banyak Languages, Aceh

Robert Amery and Zulfadli A. Aziz

Abstract

The counting system(s) and the use of classifiers in the languages of Pulau Simeulue and Pulau Banyak are complex. Indeed, there is more than one means of enumeration depending on the nature of the entity being counted in those languages. This study reveals strong similarities between the counting systems and classifiers used across this set of languages that differ markedly from Bahasa Indonesia and other languages of Indonesia more closely related to Malay. It provides additional evidence of the connection between the languages spoken in Simeulue and those spoken in Pulau Banyak and with Nias to the south.