Etic comparison of language data

7.3 Etic comparison of language data

The linguistic similarity groupings reported in the previous section concur with groupings suggested by etic evaluation of language data. Findings from our lexicostatistical analysis, detailed in section 8.2, are evidence that there is a strong linguistic basis for the community reports described above. The highest apparent cognate percentage between any pair of varieties is 89. Given that none are higher, this suggests that, as reported by some communities, each village’s vernacular has its own unique characteristics. Apparent cognate percentages show great linguistic similarity among the southern villages of Dangal, Bubuparum and Wawas. 48 There is more variation among the Middle Watut varieties, as reported by residents. At geographic extremes within this group are two closely related sub-groups: Madzim and Marauna in the south, and Wagongg and Boral in the north. The Bencheng variety is equally similar to Madzim and Boral, so it lies in the middle, linguistically as well as geographically. Wagongg and Boral are both spoken in Dungutung, but with varying degrees of similarity to the other Middle Watut varieties, which explains why residents give mixed reports about the similarity between speech from Dungutung and other Middle Watut villages. Lastly, the northern varieties of Onom, Uruf and Mafanazo have as a group the greatest similarity of all the Watut varieties, based on apparent cognate percentages. In section 4.3 we presented Holzknecht’s case that lexicostatistical analysis is an unreliable way to hypothesise about linguistic groupings. Her own evaluation of linguistic data is much more reliable for our purposes. Community reports and findings from our lexicostatistical analysis concur exactly with her reported variety groupings. She reports that one variety of South Watut is spoken in Dangal, Wawas and Gumots 1989:31. 49 She reports that Dungutung, Marauna and Bencheng speak Middle Watut, but that Dungutung’s population speak two varieties, one of which is more similar to North Watut ibid., 33–34. This is supported by our data, which suggest that the Wagongg variety in Dungutung is nearly as similar to North Watut as it is to Middle Watut. Finally, she reports that North Watut is spoken in Uruf, Mafanazo and Morom, a conclusion supported by our own findings ibid., 34–35. Thus, community reports given to us, findings from our lexicostatistical analysis, and Holzknecht’s research are all in agreement regarding linguistic groupings among the Watut villages.

7.4 Willingness to work together