Languages of Indonesia

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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 variant of Malay,^[2] which was used in the archipelago, -- borrowing heavily from local languages of Indonesia such as Javanese, Sundanese, Minangkabau, etc. The Indonesian language is primarily used in commerce, administration, education and the media, but most Indonesians speak other languages, such as Javanese, as their first language.^[1] Most, if not virtually all books printed in Indonesia are using Indonesian language.

Since Indonesia only recognizes a single official language, other languages are not recognized either at national level nor regional level, thus making Javanese the most widely spoken language without official status, and Sundanese the second in the list (excluding Chinese dialects).

Languages by speakers

Several major ethno-linguistic groups of Indonesia

Comparison Chart

Indonesian languages comparison chart

Below is a chart of several Indonesian languages. Most of them belong to Austronesian languages family. While there has been misunderstandings on which ones should be classified as language and which ones should be classified as dialect, the chart confirms that most have similarities, yet are not mutually comprehensible. These languages are arranged according to the numbers of native speakers.

Challenge

There are 726 languages spoken across the Indonesian archipelago in 2009 (dropped from 742 languages in 2007), the largest multilingual population in the world only after Papua New Guinea. Indonesian Papua which adjacent with Papua New Guinea has the most languages in Indonesia.^[5] Based on Summer Institute of Linguistic 637 languages are endangered with less than 100,000 native speakers. This is due to the Indonesian language becoming more dominant and many scholars believe that local languages are associated with ancient values as opposed to modernity. Thus, multilingualism is endangered. It is more like a battlefield of linguistic survival than a melting pot of languages.^[6]

Language Education Policy

Indonesia's Minister of Education and Culture Muhammad Nuh affirmed in January 2013 that the teaching of local languages as school subjects will be part of the national education curriculum. Nuh stated that much of the public worry about the teaching of local languages being left out of the curriculum is misplaced and that the new curriculum will be conveyed to them. ^[7]

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:
    • Ma'anyan language, related to Malagasy language spoken in Madagascar.
  • Northwest Sumatran languages:
    • Batak languages, seven closely related languages spoken by the Batak people in the highlands of North Sumatra.
    • Nias language, in Nias island off the western coast of North Sumatra.
    • Simeulue language, in Simeulue island off the western coast of Aceh.
    • Gayo language, in Gayo highlands in central Aceh.
  • South Sulawesi languages:
    • Bugis language, spoken by Bugis in central South Sulawesi and neighboring provinces.
    • Makassarese language, spoken by Makassarese in southern end of South Sulawesi.
    • Toraja language, spoken by Toraja people in northern highland of South Sulawesi.
    • Mandar language, spoken in West Sulawesi.
  • Philippine languages:
    • Gorontalo language, spoken in Gorontalo province.
    • Mongondow language, spoken in western part of North Sulawesi.
    • Minahasan languages, spoken in eastern part of North Sulawesi.
  • Enggano language of Sumatra is unclassified
• 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.
  • Ternate language, spoken in Ternate and northern Halmahera.
  • Tidore language, spoken in Tidore and western Halmahera, closely related with above Ternate language.

• Trans–New Guinea languages, indigenous languages family found in eastern Indonesia (Papua, Flores, Timor islands) and New Guinea. Consisting hundreds of languages, including languages of the Asmat and Dani people.
• Mairasi languages (4)
• East Cenderawasih (Geelvink Bay) languages (10)
• Lakes Plain languages (19; upper Mamberamo River)
• Tor–Kwerba languages (17)
• Nimboran languages (5)
• Skou languages (Skou)
• Border languages (15)
• Senagi languages (2)
• Pauwasi languages

There are many additional small families and isolates among the Papuan languages.

Sign languages

• Indonesian Sign Language
• Yogyakarta Sign Language and Jakarta Sign Language
• Balinese Sign Language

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 Latin scripts. Javanese has been written in the Nagari and Pallava scripts of India, as well as their derivative (known as Kawi and Javanese), in an Arabic alphabet called pegon that incorporates Javanese sounds, and in the Latin script.

Chinese characters have never been used to write Indonesian languages, although Indonesian place-names, personal names, and names of trade goods appear in reports and histories written for China's imperial courts.^[8]

References

External links

• Graph of Indonesian ethnolinguistics
• Linguistic maps of Indonesia

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