The Place of Space in Oceanic Linguistics

This paper examines the status of space and place as notable features of contemporary linguistic research in Oceania. We focus on languages of the insular Pacific because of the relatively well-studied role of space in this region and because of their key role in the broader discipline's engagement with spatial linguistics. Through an extensive analytical review, we suggest that while space has become an enormously generative domain, a strong program has yet to emerge. We argue that the literature reflects a plurality of centering foci, what we have called coupled language-space domains, that guide the disciplinary conversation. Furthermore, we conclude that although authors rarely explicitly discuss and define space and place, patterns of implicit agreement around treatments of these key terms are observable. Finally, we note that a focus on the grammatical features of spatial language differentiates spatial analysis in linguistics from other disciplines. We suggest that research concerned with understanding how space and place manifest in spatial language should be critically centered in broader discourses investigating the nature of space, place, and the significance of either for the human condition.