Languages of Indonesia
More than 700 living languages are spoken in Indonesia.[1] Most belong to the Austronesian language family, with a few Papuan languages also spoken. The official language is Indonesian (locally known as Bahasa Indonesia), a modified version of Malay,[2] which is used in commerce, administration, education and the media, but most Indonesians speak local languages, such as Javanese, as their first language.[1] Many Indonesians living in urban areas are also taught English as a second language beginning at the elementary school level.
Languages by speakers
Largest languages in Indonesia[3]
(Figures indicate numbers of native speakers except for the national language, Indonesian)
| Language |
Number (millions) |
Year surveyed |
Main areas where spoken |
| Indonesian/Malay |
210 |
2010 |
throughout Indonesia |
| Javanese |
84.3 |
2000 (census) |
Northern Banten, Northern West Java, Yogyakarta, Central Java and East Java |
| Sundanese |
34.0 |
2000 (census) |
West Java, Banten |
| Madurese |
13.6 |
2000 (census) |
Madura Island (East Java) |
| Minangkabau |
5.5 |
2007 |
West Sumatra |
| Musi (Palembang Malay)[4] |
3.9 |
2000 (census) |
South Sumatra |
| Bugis |
3.5 |
1991 |
South Sulawesi |
| Banjarese |
3.5 |
2000 (census) |
South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan |
| Acehnese |
3.5 |
2000 (census) |
Aceh |
| Balinese |
3.3 |
2000 (census) |
Bali Island and Lombok Island |
| Betawi |
2.7 |
1993 |
Jakarta |
| Sasak |
2.1 |
1989 |
Lombok Island (West Nusa Tenggara) |
| Batak Toba |
2.0 |
1991 |
North Sumatra |
| Makassarese |
1.6 |
1989 |
South Sulawesi |
| Batak Dairi |
1.2 |
1991 |
North Sumatra |
| Batak Simalungun |
1.2 |
2000 (census) |
North Sumatra |
| Batak Mandailing |
1.1 |
2000 (census) |
North Sumatra |
| Jambi Malay |
1.0 |
2000 (census) |
Jambi |
| Mongondow |
0.9 |
1989 |
North Sulawesi |
| Gorontalo |
0.9 |
1989 |
Gorontalo (province) |
| Ngaju Dayak |
0.9 |
2003 |
Southern Kalimantan |
| Lampung Api |
0.8 |
2000 (census) |
Lampung |
| Nias |
0.8 |
2000 (census) |
Nias Island, North Sumatra |
| Batak Angkola |
0.7 |
1991 |
North Sumatra |
| North Moluccan Malay |
0.7 |
2001 |
North Maluku |
| Chinese (Hokkien and Teochew) |
0.7 |
1982 |
Northern Sumatra, Riau Islands and West Kalimantan |
| Chinese (Hakka) |
0.6 |
1982 |
Bangka Belitung, Riau Islands and West Kalimantan |
| Batak Karo |
0.6 |
1991 |
North Sumatra |
| Uab Meto |
0.6 |
1997 |
West Timor (East Nusa Tenggara) |
| Bima |
0.5 |
1989 |
Sumbawa Island (West Nusa Tenggara) |
| Manggarai |
0.5 |
1989 |
Flores Island (East Nusa Tenggara) |
| Torajan-Sa'dan |
0.5 |
1990 |
South Sulawesi, West Sulawesi |
| Komering |
0.5 |
2000 (census) |
South Sumatra |
| Tetum |
0.4 |
2004 |
West Timor (East Nusa Tenggara) |
| Rejang |
0.4 |
2000 (census) |
Bengkulu |
| Muna |
0.3 |
1989 |
Southeast Sulawesi |
| Basa Semawa |
0.3 |
1989 |
Sumbawa Island (West Nusa Tenggara) |
| Bangka |
0.3 |
2000 (census) |
Bangka Island (Bangka Belitung) |
| Osing |
0.3 |
2000 (census) |
East Java |
| Gayo |
0.3 |
2000 (census) |
Aceh |
| Tolaki |
0.3 |
1991 |
Southeast Sulawesi |
| Lewotobi language |
0.3 |
2000 |
Flores Island (East Nusa Tenggara) |
| Tae' |
0.3 |
1992 |
South Sulawesi |
| Ambonese Malay |
0.2 |
1987 |
Maluku |
Challenge
There are approximately 735 languages spoken across the Indonesian archipelago, the largest multilingual population in the world only after Papua New Guinea. Based on Summer Institute of Linguistic 637 languages are endangered with less than 100,000 native speakers. It is due to Indonesian language more dominant and many scholars belief that associate local languages with ancient values as opposed to modernity. So multilingualism is endangered. It is more like a battlefield of linguistic survival than a melting pot of languages.[5]
Languages by family
Several prominent languages spoken in Indonesia sorted by its language family are:
- Austronesian languages – (Malayo-Polynesian branch). Most languages spoken in Indonesia belong to this family, who in return related to languages spoken in Madagascar, Philippines , New Zealand , Hawaii and various Polynesian countries.
- Javanese language, spoken Yogyakarta, Central Java and East Java. Also found throughout Indonesia and by migrants in Suriname. Most populous Austronesian language by number of first language speaker.
- Lampung language, two distinct but closely related languages spoken in Lampung, South Sumatra and Banten
- Rejang language, spoken in Bengkulu province.
- Malayo-Sumbawan languages:
- Malay/Indonesian languages, spoken throughout Indonesia. Also used as national language.
- Aceh language, spoken in Aceh, especially coastal part of Sumatra island.
- Minangkabau language, spoken in West Sumatra.
- Banjar language, spoken in South , East, and Central Kalimantan.
- Sundanese language, spoken in West Java, Banten and Jakarta.
- Balinese language, spoken in Bali.
- Madurese language, spoken in Madura, Bawean and surrounding islands off the coast of Java.
- Sasak language, spoken in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.
- Barito languages:
- Northwest Sumatran languages:
- South Sulawesi languages:
- Philippine languages:
- West Papuan languages, indigenous languages family found only in eastern Indonesia (northern Maluku and western Papua). Not closely related with other language families. Distinct from surrounding Austronesian languages.
In addition, the Enggano language of Sumatra is unclassified and may be a language isolate; and there are numerous small families of Papuan languages.
Writing system
Like most writing systems in human history, Indonesia's are not rendered in native-invented systems, but devised by speakers of Sanskrit, Arabic, and Latin. Malay, for example, has a long history as a written language and has been rendered in Indic, Arabic, and Roman writing systems. Javanese has been written in the Nagari and Pallava writing systems of India, as well as their derivation (known as Kawi script and Javanese script), in a modified Arabic system called pegon that incorporates Javanese sounds, and in the Roman alphabet.
Chinese characters have never been used to express Indonesian languages, although Indonesian place-names, personal names, and names of trade goods appear in reports and histories written for China's imperial courts.[6]
References
External links
