Ama, Ambonese

[Waruno Mahdi]

> Second:  Does the word "Amboinese/Ambonese" have any
> meaning as a language label, or does this just describe the variety
> of Malay spoken on Ambon?

Jim, It's correctly _Ambonese_, and is the adjectival form to the
geographical place name _Ambon_ (city, island). The alternative mode
is from _Amboina_, being a 16th century Portuguese rendering of
_Ambon_ whch was echoed in many European languages up to WWII, and
occasionally even after 1950.

The language originally spoken in Ambon was Asilulu. The language
presently spoken there is a local dialect of Malay, known as
Ambon Malay. When the term _Ambonese_ is used as casual reference
to a language, then Ambon Malay is normally implied. Othherwise
it typically refers to the local ethnic group or its culture.

                            Is "Central Moluccan" useable as a
> label for a form from one or more languages of Maluku, or is this
> simply too broad, seeing that "Central Maluku" has been used, if

In linguistic context, it refers to a group of languages that
includes Asilulu, but not Ambon Malay (hence, also not "Ambonese").
In non-linguistic context, it is the adjectival form to _Central
Maluku_, name of a regency (administrative unit) in the province
of Maluku, within which Ambon is situated.

                               The particular syntagma I have in
> mind is <ai lanito>, the etymon of the botanical Latin name
> <Ailanthus>.

The original languages were indeed Central Maloccan languages,
e.g. Kamarian, Hatusua, Waisamu, Kaibobu, Piru, and Hatawano,
which all had _ai lanit_ as name of the tree (lit. 'sky tree').
Cognates on some other Central Moluccan languages were:
Saparua _ai-l lanit-ol_, Nusalaut _ai-l lani-ol_ ; But if
cognate forms given by Jim Collins deviate from any of the
above, take his data, because they are certain to be fresher
than mine taken from pre-WWII sources.

The Malay name is _pohon langit_ (also lit. 'sky tree').
The Latin term was apparently coined from _ailanto_, the Portuguese
rendering of the name in some Central Moluccan language.
That's all I have. Hope it was any help.

aloha,   Waruno



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