The making of Malaysian solidarity: Mainstream phonological affinities of the Kantuk dialect

This study examines the connection of native dialects in Borneo to the mainstream Malay dialect in Peninsular Malaysia, in particular a collection of words spoken by the Kantuk natives who occupy a few specific locations in Bandar Semitau of the Indonesian West Kalimantan’s district of Kapuas Hulu. These linguistic data were further analyzed based on the Dialectology Generative framework. Nasal-obstruent assimilation aspect that exists in the Kantuk dialect was scrutinized and consequently compared with the Iban and Malay dialects in order to evaluate the strength and kinship between them. The results reveal the existence of the assimilation process involving nasal-obstruent sound in initial word position. Active verbs in Kantuk dialect are formed based on the merging of root words and prefix /η/. Two phonological processes, namely, nasal-obstruent assimilation and syllable structural process practiced by order accentuate the similarity of phonological process between the Kantuk and the Iban and the Kedah dialects. The ability to apply the assimilation formula and process in a clear and standardized manner evidently displays a close relationship between these dialects and a proof of phonological and morphological kinships between the dialects.