Angkola (also known as Batak Angkola or Anakola) people are one of the sub-ethnic groups comprising the
Batak people
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo people ( ...
from
North Sumatra
North Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Utara) is a province of Indonesia located on the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan. North Sumatra is Indonesia's fourth most populous province after West Java, East Java ...
who live in
South Tapanuli regency. The
Angkola language
Angkola, or Batak Angkola, is an Austronesian language of Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the ...
is similar to
Mandailing language, but it is
sociolinguistic
Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any or all aspects of society, including cultural Norm (sociology), norms, expectations, and context (language use), context, on the way language is used, and society's effect on languag ...
ally distinct.
The name ''Angkola'' is believed to have originate from the Angkola river or ''Batang Angkola'', which was named by an officer called Rajendra Kola (''Angkola'' or city lord) who was passing through
Padang Lawas and later came to power there. The southern (downstream) part of the Angkola river is called ''Angkola Jae'', while the northern (upstream) part is called ''Angkola Julu''.
The Angkola people practice
patrilineal kinship, and the
clans and
surnames
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
of Angkola people are based on the patrilineal system. There are only a few Angkola
surnames
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
- Siregar, Dalimunthe, Harahap, Hasibuan, Rambe, Nasution, Daulay, Tanjung, Ritonga, Batubara and Hutasuhut, amongst others. Angkola society strictly prohibits marriage between people with the same surname.
Prior to their