[Linganth] Language & the Kula Ring

[Gaudio, Rudolf]

Hello, all

I use excerpts from Malinowski’s work on the Kula ring regularly in my classes, and have long wanted to know more about the linguistic dimensions of Kula trading expeditions. Malinowski labels the language he learned Kiriwinian, which suggests it was only spoken on the island of Kiriwina. What about the other islands? I’ve tried to figure out the sociolinguistic situation in the Trobriand Islands (then and now) using widely available online sources, and have done a wee bit of searching through more academic sources, but I haven’t found anything that specifically describes what language(s) Malinowski’s Kiriwinian associates used when they visited or hosted people from different islands. Were all the languages of the region mutually intelligible? Was everyone multilingual? Were particular people employed as translators? 

Any guidance you can give would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Rudi


Rudolf P. Gaudio
Purchase College, State University of New York