BY SIDNEY H. RAY. 
5 
There are several distinct dialects. “ The languages of 
the different tribes are so diverse and so subdivided that 
almost each place has a separate tongue. Thus the Milanos 
of Bintulu cannot understand the Milanos of Muka or Oya, 
and yet they are not very far apart in point of distance.” * * * § 
C. de Crespigny f and W. M. Crocker i note the same 
diversities. 
The name Malanao is found in the Philippine Island 
Mindanao as one of the names of a Moro tribe of llanos, 
dwelling on the shore of the Malanao Sea.§ Whether any 
relationship is here indicated is uncertain, but viewed in 
conjunction with the occurrence of such Philippine names 
as Lanun, Bisaya, and Tagal in North-west Borneo, it is 
worthy of notice. 
The earlier vocabularies of Milano do not indicate the 
dialect to which they refer. St. John || gives only the 
general location “between the Rejang and Baram,” which 
is repeated by Ling Roth.J. Tamat’s vocabulary,** 
though not so stated, appears to refer to the Muka dialect. 
In J. Holland’s vocabulary ft the language is called 
Melano-Dyak. 
According to A. E. Lawrence, H the Milano use a 
Telabau dana, or old language, in spirit worship and in¬ 
cantations. Some examples are given, as Buau, Iang , Gun, 
names of spirits (probably connected with the Land Dayak 
buau , ghost of person killed in war, Yang , a Hindu-Malay 
name for a deity, Gun , the Arab jin), and belebang, butterfly, 
tatin, the carpenter bee, belebai, the small phosphorescent 
centipede, &c., but he does not give the ordinary names for 
comparison. He also gives an incantation chant, §§ with¬ 
out translation, in the language used by the Orang Bayoh, 
or medicine man. 
A comparison of the Milano dialects shows that they fall 
into four very distinct divisions, of which the Bintulu, 
Muka, Narom, and Long Kiput may be considered the 
typical languages. The Kanowits, Tanjongs, and Siduans 
form a group intermediate between the Milano and Sea 
Dayak. Mr. A. E. Lawrence in a letter to Dr. Meyer (1910) 
* J. C. Moulton in letter to A. B. Meyer, 1909. 
f Jour. Anthrop. Inst. v. 1876, p. 34. 
J Jour. Anthrop. Inst. xv. 1886, p. 425. 
§ Blumentritt. Gesell. Erdkunde, Berlin, xxv. 1890, p. 140. 
|] ‘ Eorests of the Far East,’ App. C, p. 399. 
M 1 Natives of Sarawak,’ 2, p. cxix. 
** ‘ Vocabulary,’ 1867. 
ft Jour. Straits Br. Boy. Asiat. Soc. v. 1879, pp. 125-156. 
Jour. Boy. Anthrop. Inst, xxxviii. p. 403. §§ Op. cit. p. 407. 
