Riau

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Riau, also called Liau, Riaw and Lhão(ewcì riaù, [ɛ́wt͡sì rʲɐù]) is an Aljawhi language spoken on the island of Ehryau(ùùriau in Riau), originally called Eilhão by the Portuguese.

The language was first documented by Portuguese sailors who reached Ehryau Island, who talked of the existence of the island of "Eilhão", and its inhabitants who called themselves the "Lhão". They did not make many purely linguistic notes, though they did note that one peninsula was called "Kabisa(z)" by the Lhão, which they noted sounded similar to the Portuguese word cabeças, "heads", and thus from then on they (probably jokingly) called the peninsula A Península das Cabeças, "the Peninsula of Heads". The actual word they recorded was probably something along the lines of Middle Riau *kəb(é)səz, which meant "to snake (around)". The modern descendant of this word in modern Riau is kàbijxà, "wiggly".