PNCV *koro / *qoro root, 'to fence'

[Chaumont Devin]

Obviously Malay "kurung", meaning "to enclose, as with a surrounding barrier".

Proto 'r' becomes 'h' in Buru.  Here are some Buru words which seem to
come from the same root:

kohoh, vt. cover.  Ban sir, ban koho kono, My body is covered by
  perspiration.
    cf. siruh.

kohot, n. 1.  The hard, outer bark of the sago tree.
    syn. kuhut, kopin, kupin.

kuhut, n.  The hard, outer bark of the sago tree.
    syn. kohot, kopin, kupin.

"Alexandre FRANCOIS" <alex_francois at hotmail.com> writes:

>I would be very pleased to read any information about a Proto-Oceanic
>root which was reconstructed *qoro / *koro for PNCV
>[*Proto-North-Central-Vanuatu] by Ross Clark (1985, Pac.Ling. C-88)
>after Andrew Pawley (1972, Studies in Oceanic culture history) ; Mota
>/goro/ is an example of this root (Codrington 1896).

>It should have several meanings, from "cover" / "surround", to
>"obstruct", "prevent", etc. It could be related to notions like
>"fence, "enclosure", "cut around", according to Clark's hints. He
>actually gives two references of Andrew's works, one of which is a
>1977 unpublished manuscript ("POC reconstructions"), and the other one
>I couldn't find so far.

>Can anybody tell me what he knows about that root, from the
>diachronical viewpoint as well as the synchronical (does it show up at
>all among Polynesian languages ?), including semantic (different
>meanings=85) and syntactic issues ? Does it behave like a verb, a verbal
>suffix, a preposition, or may it have been a noun at some date,
>meaning for instance "fence" [cf. Mota /geara/, if it is related to
>it] ?

>If no word in the modern languages you know appears to share the same
>origin, at least have you heard similar semantic associations (fence /
>protect / prevent s.o. from doing s.t. / against / keep s.t.
>secret...) are common throughout the area, although with different
>etymologies ?

>Any references or data appreciated,

>Cheers

>Alexandre FRANCOIS
>Paris (LACITO)