Abstract:
In this paper, we draw a parallel between a morpheme found in most Polynesian languages, and the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans). While this may seem an unusual comparison, the nature of the parallel is grounded in the diachronic spread of both the Polynesian languages and the Polynesian rat, both of which were dispersed throughout the region by Polynesian travelers. The parallel has a deeper diachronic link: the Polynesian rat has been used as a methodological tool for dating human settlement in the islands (e.g. Holdaway 1996, Matisoo- Smith & Robins 2004, Wilmhurst & Higham 2004, Wilmhurst et al. 2008). The focus of the paper is the morpheme *ko, and we claim that this particle and its morphosyntax, like rats, spread throughout VSO Polynesia and has remained remarkably stable over time. Thus, like rats, *ko can be used as a sort of diachronic landmark. Unlike rats, however, this particle is subject to loss/erosion in language communities that have shifted, or are in the process of shifting, to SVO order.
