[Papuanlanguages] Publications on Papuan languages

[Malcolm Ross]

PACIFIC LINGUISTICS is happy to announce the publication of:

A dictionary of Buin, a language of Bougainville
Donald C. Laycock, edited by Masayuki Onishi

A grammar of Bilua:  A Papuan language of the Solomon Islands
Kazuko Obata

These works are described below.

Prices are in Australian dollars (one Australian dollar is currently
equivalent to about US$ 0.66).

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A dictionary of Buin, a language of Bougainville
Donald C. Laycock, edited by Masayuki Onishi

Don Laycock was a man of many interests but in the last two decades 
of his life his largest project was the compilation of a dictionary 
of Buin, a Papuan language spoken in southeastern Bougainville.  When 
Don realised in 1988 that he was terminally ill he thought carefully 
about the things he wanted to achieve during the months that remained 
to him.  Academically, the most important was to ensure that his Buin 
dictionary was close to completion, so that it could be published 
after he had gone. He made as great an effort as his strength allowed 
and came very close to achieving this goal. During his last days Don 
asked his colleagues to make sure that the Buin dictionary was 
published, and they agreed.
Publication has taken longer than expected, mainly because the 
detailed work of editing the dictionary draft required someone who 
had the necessary expertise and who also was able to give extended 
chunks of his time to the project. That person was Masayuki Onishi, 
who had worked on Motuna, a neighbour of Buin. Masa has worked 
voluntarily on the manuscript for seven years, assisted by Don's wife 
Tania and daughter Melany. Masa adopted an overriding principle that 
this should be Don's work, not his. And so we publish the last book 
from a wonderful colleague.

PL 537 , 2003	ISBN 0 85883 511 8	xxvii  + 355 pp
Australia A$79.20 (inc. GST)		International A$72.00

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A grammar of Bilua:  A Papuan language of the Solomon Islands
Kazuko Obata

This grammar of Bilua, a revision of the author's PhD thesis, is the 
first comprehensive description of the language.  Bilua is spoken on 
Vella La Vella island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. 
According to the 1976 census there are about 85 vernacular languages 
indigenous to the Solomon Islands.  The majority of these are 
Austronesian, but among them are four Papuan languages, one of which 
is Bilua.

The grammar presented here is based on the dialect of the Bilua area, 
which is regarded as standard by local people, probably because 
Methodist missionaries who arrived early in the twentieth century 
regarded it as the language of the island.

In the past, the Austronesian language Roviana was used as a lingua 
franca in the region and so older people on Vella La Vella speak 
Roviana as well as Bilua.  However, the role of Roviana has been 
taken over by Solomon Islands Pidgin which is used in primary schools 
and in church ceremonies which are central to the lives of people in 
Vella La Vella.   There is a high rate of intermarriage between Vella 
La Vella people and people from other islands and mixed couples 
communicate in Bilua, Pidgin, or one of the other Solomons languages. 
Pidgin words are mixed into Bilua and sometimes people switch from 
one language to another in their speech.  Thus the Bilua language is 
changing because of the influence of Pidgin, and, although the 
population of Vella La Vella is increasing rapidly, Bilua is 
endangered.

PL 540, 2003		ISBN 0 85883 531 2		333 + xx pp
Australia A$77.00 (inc. GST)		International A$70.00

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Orders may be placed by mail, e-mail or telephone with:

Publishing, Imaging and Cartographic Services (PICS)
Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 0200 Australia

Tel: +61 (0)2 6125 3269 Fax:    +61 (0)2 6125 9975

mailto://Thelma.Sims@anu.edu.au

Credit card orders are accepted.

For our catalogue and other materials, see:

http://pacling.anu.edu.au (under construction)

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Other enquiries (but not orders) should go to:

The Publications Administrator
Pacific Linguistics
Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 0200 Australia

Tel: +61 (0)2 6125 2742 Fax: +61 (0)2 6125 4896

mailto://jmanley@coombs.anu.edu.au 

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-- 
_____________________________________
Dr Malcolm D. Ross
Senior Fellow
Department of Linguistics
Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies
The Australian National University
CANBERRA A.C.T. 0200
Australia

For international students:
ANU CRICOS Provider Number is 00120C