Languages of Brunei
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are a multitude of languages spoken in Brunei. The official language of the state of Brunei is Standard Malay. This came into force on 29th September 1959, with the signing of Brunei 1959 Constitution[1].
English is also widely used as a business and working language. It is also the language of instruction in secondary and tertiary education. Other languages spoken in Brunei include the Chinese, Indian and Native languages spoken by the minority ethnic groups.
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[edit] Standard Malay
See Main Article Malay Language
The Malay language, also known locally as Bahasa Melayu, is the standard language for the peoples of the Malay Archipelago. This language is slightly different from the traditional forms spoken in Brunei. The official standard for the language, has been defined and agreed upon by the Language and Literature Bureaus of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The language is the accepted printed form and is used in all official Brunei government media.
[edit] Native languages
The native languages of Brunei belongs to the Borneo-Philippines languages branch of the Austronesian family.
There are seven ethnic groups defined as Bumiputera by the constitution of 1959. These are the Belait, Bisaya, Brunei, Dusun, Kedayan, Murut, and Tutong indigenous races. The native languages spoken by these people are Belait Malay (Belait), Bisaya language (Bisaya), Brunei Malay (Brunei), Dusun (Dusun), Kedayan (Kedayan), Murut (Murut), and Tutong (Tutong). Ethnologue classifies the Tutong language as two different languages, but merges the Brunei Malay and Kedayan languages into one category[2]. Not all of these languages are mutually intelligible.
Other Borneo languages spoken in Brunei, but not considered to be Bumiputera include Iban by the Iban peoples, Dayak by the Dayaks, the Mukah dialect[2] of the Kelabits, and the languages of the Penans[3].
[edit] Arabic
Arabic is the language of the Koran and is used by the Islamic Scholars in Brunei. The official religion of Brunei is Islam[4] and as such, all adherents of the faith possess some proficiency in reading and speaking Arabic.
Arabic is also taught in schools, particularly religious schools, and also in institutes of higher learning[5]. As of 2004, there are six Arabic schools and one religious teacher's college in Brunei[6].
[edit] Chinese Languages
The Chinese minority in Brunei speak a large number of the various Chinese languages and dialects[7]. The Hokkien (Min Nan) tongue predominates in the Brunei-Muara and Temburong districts, while Cantonese and Hakka speakers are mostly concentrated in the Seria and Kuala Belait areas of the Belait district. Other versions of Chinese spoken in Brunei include Hoisan, Fuchow and Hainanese.
Mandarin is the language of instruction at the primary level in the private Chinese schools, and is taught as a subject at the secondary level. Mandarin is also used as the lingua franca among the Chinese community.
[edit] Indian Languages
The Indian minority in Brunei originates mostly from southern India. They are joined by a relatively large expatriate community, estimated at about 7500, from India[8]. Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi are some of the Indian languages spoken in Brunei.
There is also a large contingent of Nepali soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles stationed in Brunei. The language spoken by most of these soldiers is Gurkhali. There are Gurkhali languages services provided by Radio Television Brunei[9] and the British Forces Broadcasting Service[10].
[edit] Expatriate Languages
Besides the expatriate Indians, Brunei also has a large expatriate community of Filipino[11], Indonesian and English-speaking[12] origins.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Language and Literature Bureau Brief History - retrieved 20-04-2007
- ^ a b Languages of Brunei, Ethanologue - retrieved 20-04-2007
- ^ Brunei Resources Introduction - retrieved 20-04-2007
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica] - retrieved 22-04-2007
- ^ Brunei Economic Development Board - retrieved 22-04-2007
- ^ Ministry of Education Statistics 2004 - retrieved 22-04-2007
- ^ Brunei at a Glance BruDirect - retrieved 20-04-2007
- ^ Indian Community in Brunei - High Commission of India to Brunei - retrieved 20-04-2007
- ^ Pilihan Radio, Radio Television Brunei - retrieved 20-04-2007
- ^ BFBS Global Locations - retrieved 20-04-2007
- ^ Filipino Organisations in Brunei, Philippines Embassy - retrieved 20-04-2007
- ^ Centre for British Teachers in Brunei - retrieved 20-04-2007
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