kerus, kerut

[Chaumont Devin]

idawolff at iponet.es writes:

>Chaument:
thanks for quoting me as an expert (actually I am not). But anyway from
here in Spain relying entirely on my memory I can tell you that kerut is a
fine Ml form meaning "wrinkled" and also "scratch". Never heard of kerus
and I don't know if it exists (excpt in the name of a drink "Orans Kerus")
But anyway, I doubt that it would be possible to connect kerut with any of
koro, kurung and all that. John Wolff
>anyway from here in Spain relying entirely on my memory I can tell you
that
>kerut is a fine Ml form meaning "wrinkled" and also
>"scratch". Never heard of kerus and I don't know if it exists
(excpt
>in the name of a drink "Orans Kerus") But anyway, I doubt that
it
>would be possible to connect kerut with any of koro, kurung and all that.
John
>Wolff

Hi there John,

I wouldn't be too terribly sure.  Stranger connections than these have
been made before.  Please tell me, for example, why it is that inmodern
Ambon Malay, the word "karuus" is acceptable in place of proper Malay
"kurus"?  Kinda sounds like the same thing as "sanaang" for "senang",
"taruus" for "terus", etc., don't you think?

If there is one thing I hate/love about linguistics it must be the way in
which with just one puff of insulting irregularity natural language can so
completely blow away even the most carefully laid theoretical frameworks
of our best and brightest scientists--computational or otherwise!

BTW, what about Ambon "karoyo" or "koroyo"?  I think that one must be
originally Javanese.  It means "surround and attack".

And then there is that other bothersome Malay word, "gulung".  And, oh,
yes, don't forget "kalung" and "gelang".  And what about "golong"?

And then there is the Ambon version of "gelang", which is "galaang".

And it should also be noted that as regards the "push back" meaning from
Vanuatu, there is an Ambon word, "toro", which means "move back" either as
a transitive or an intransitive verb.

And in Buru the "cover" meaning is found in "terun" and other similar
words with "teru" in them, which mean "shelter, covering, conical hat",
etc.

Have fun with these, and see how they stretch the bands of formal grouping
while I dig up some more!

--CD.