identification of an unknown language

[Liberty Lidz]

I wonder if typologists might be able to help identify this unknown language. Language Log recently posted materials (a writing sample and two short audio files) which they received from a UN refugee office in SE Nepal of a language that the refugee office is trying to identify: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4498. Over a week has gone by and no one has yet been able to identify the language.

Based on the speaker's short writing sample, the language appears to lack the complex stop series (place/manner of articulation) found in most languages spoken in the greater north Indian linguistic area, whether Indo-Aryan, Tibeto-Burman, Austroasiatic, or Dravidian. The sample shows a (C)V(C) syllable structure, a very limited phonemic inventory, and long vowels. Words are primarily mono- and bisyllabic with a few trisyllables.

Several commenters have noted possible Malay or Indonesian words, suggesting that the language may be Austronesian or in contact with Malay or Indonesian. Another possibility, given the limited phonemic inventory, simple syllable structure, and large number of reduplicated forms, is that it is a creole.

Does anyone recognize this language? Negative evidence, in the form of "It is not language X" is also appreciated.

Based on discussions with colleagues and comments on the post, the language has already been identified as NOT: Hindi-Urdu, Nepali, Assamese, Bengali, Kashmiri, Farsi, Hazaragi, Khowar/Chitrali, Mizo, anything from Bhutan, Tibetan, Burmese, Jingpho, Karenic, Khasi, Sinitic, Japanese, Thai, Malay, Indonesian, and Tagalog.

I will collate responses to the listserv and post them to the comments section of the blog post; you may also post comments directly to the blog post at the link above if you'd like.

Best,

===
Liberty Lidz, Ph.D.

Research Associate
STEDT http://stedt.berkeley.edu/
University of California, Berkeley
libertylidz at berkeley.edu


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A few further details: 

There are numerous anomalies in the writing sample -- sections are in an unidentified script and there are several English words in the text, including: a possible reference to Ang Sui Ki (a variant spelling of Aung San Suu Kyi's name), bliss, Mig 21 (a Russian/Chinese fighter jet), Spinoza, and 'bricht'. It is possible that the speaker was unclear about and/or unaccustomed to the task of providing a writing sample, but she is also reported to have an unidentified mental illness.


It is difficult to extrapolate a phonetic inventory based on a writing sample, and such a short and anomalous one at that, but the following is a rough estimate, with '(?)' designating that it is unclear whether the sound should be included:

p/b  t  k (?)
v   s z  h
  l  r
   y
m n ŋ (?)

a e i o u, aa ee oo, eu, au, ou
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