Some ulun-no-bokan (Murut) words from North Borneo
This short note by H. G. Keith presents a list of Ulun-no-Bokan (Murut) words collected at Kampong Pauh and Kampong Tiong in the Bokan District, Interior Residency, North Borneo, with Malay and English equivalents (pp. 314–322).
Summary
Keith’s introductory remarks address the practical difficulties of compiling a Bokan vocabulary, drawing on observations by G. C. Woolley regarding the informants’ tendency to substitute Malay or “adapted Malay” words when they cannot recall a native term, and their politeness in deferring to the collector’s authority (p. 314). He notes that many everyday objects are new to the community and thus named in Malay, while older native words are being displaced by Malay borrowings such as tikus and gadingan (p. 314).
The note also discusses orthographic challenges, following Winstedt’s conventions as closely as possible, and observes phonological features including the interchangeability of f/v/b/p, the change of r to l (except initially), and ch to s in adapted words (p. 315). The vocabulary itself covers approximately 3,000 words and includes entries for animals, insects, birds, and other natural objects, with scientific names provided by H. L. Pendlebury (insects) and F. N. Chasen (birds) (p. 315).