Phonological Fossils: Machine Learning Detection of Non-Mainstream Vocabulary in Sulawesi Basic Lexicon
Basic vocabulary in many Sulawesi Austronesian languages includes forms resisting reconstruction to any proto-form with phonological patterns inconsistent with inherited roots, but whether this non-conforming vocabulary represents pre-Austronesian substrate or independent innovation has not been tested computationally. We combine rule-based cognate subtraction with a machine learning classifier trained on phonological features. Using 1,357 forms from six Sulawesi languages in the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database, we identify 438 candidate substrate forms (26.5%) through cognate subtraction and Proto-Austronesian cross-checking. An XGBoost classifier trained on 26 phonological featur...
| Authors | Mukhlis Amien, Go Frendi Gunawan |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.CL |
| Published | 11 March 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 11 March 2026 |
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