Minangkabau (Minangkabau: ,
Pegon script
Pegon ( Javanese and Sundanese: , ; also known as , ) was a modified Arabic script used to write the Javanese, Sundanese, and Madurese languages, as an alternative to the Latin script or the Javanese script and the old Sundanese script. In ...
: ; id, Bahasa Minangkabau; ms, Bahasa Minangkabau or ,
Jawi: ) is an
Austronesian language spoken by the
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to:
* Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people
* Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center
* Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see belo ...
of
West Sumatra
West Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Barat) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. The province has an area of , with a population of 5, ...
, the western part of
Riau
Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Accord ...
,
South Aceh Regency
South Aceh Regency ( id, Kabupaten Aceh Selatan) is a regency in the Aceh special region of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra. The regency covers an area of 4,173.82 square kilometres and had a population of 202, ...
, the northern part of
Bengkulu
Bengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southwest coast of Sumatra. It was formed on 18 November 1968 by separating out the former Bencoolen Residency area from the province of South Sumatra under Law No. 9 of 1967 and was fi ...
and
Jambi, also in several cities throughout
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
by migrated Minangkabau.
[Kajian Serba Linguistik : Untuk Anton Moeliono Pereksa Bahasa (2000)] The language is also a
lingua franca
A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...
along the western coastal region of the province of
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 and ...
, and is even used in parts of
Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
, where the language is called ''Aneuk Jamee''.
Due to the huge proximity between Minangkabau and
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
, there is some controversy regarding the relationship between the two. Some see Minangkabau as an early variety of Malay, while others think of Minangkabau as a distinct (
Malayic
The Malayic languages are a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian language family. The most prominent member is Malay, which is the national language of Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia; it further serves as basis for Ind ...
) language.
Minangkabau is one of a few languages that generally lacks verb forms and grammatical subject-object distinctions.
Geographic distribution
Minangkabau is the native language of the
Minangkabau people
Minangkabau people ( min, Urang Minang; Indonesian or Malay: ''Orang Minangkabau'' or ''Minangkabo''; Jawi: Ù…Ù†Ú ÙƒØ¨Ùˆ), also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesi ...
of
West Sumatra
West Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Barat) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. The province has an area of , with a population of 5, ...
.
There are approximately 5.5 million speakers of the language. It is also spoken in the western part of
Riau
Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Accord ...
,
South Aceh Regency
South Aceh Regency ( id, Kabupaten Aceh Selatan) is a regency in the Aceh special region of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra. The regency covers an area of 4,173.82 square kilometres and had a population of 202, ...
, the northern part of
Bengkulu
Bengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southwest coast of Sumatra. It was formed on 18 November 1968 by separating out the former Bencoolen Residency area from the province of South Sumatra under Law No. 9 of 1967 and was fi ...
and
Jambi.
Along the western coastal region of
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 and ...
, the language is also a
lingua franca
A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...
. The language is used and called ''Aneuk Jamee'' in parts of
Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
.
Besides Indonesia, Minangkabau is also spoken in Malaysia, by some descendants of migrants from the Minang-speaking region in Sumatra (''Ranah Minang'', ''Tanah Minang'', or Land of the Minang). Significant numbers of the early migrants settled in what is now the Malaysian state of
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...
; this ''
Negeri Sembilan Malay
Negeri Sembilan Malay (; also known as or ) is an Austronesian language spoken mainly in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan and in northern Malacca in Alor Gajah. The language is spoken by the descendants of Minangkabau settlers from Sum ...
'', known as ''Bahaso Nogori / Baso Nogoghi'', is now a distinct language, more closely related to Malay than to Minangkabau. More recent immigrants are known as ''Minang''.
Dialects
The Minangkabau language has several dialects, sometimes differing between nearby villages (e.g. separated by a river). The dialects are Rao Mapat Tunggul, Muaro Sungai Lolo, Payakumbuh, Pangkalan-Lubuk Alai, Agam-Tanah Datar, Pancungsoal, Kotobaru, Sungai Bendung Air, and Karanganyar. In everyday communication between Minangkabau people of different regions, the Agam-Tanah Datar dialect (''Baso Padang'' or ''Baso Urang Awak'' 'our
eople'slanguage') is often used and has become a kind of standard.
The
Tapan language, spoken in the town of Tapan in southern
West Sumatra
West Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Barat) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. The province has an area of , with a population of 5, ...
province, is a recently discovered
Malayan language
The Malayic languages are a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian language family. The most prominent member is Malay, which is the national language of Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia; it further serves as basis for Ind ...
which has been proposed as related to but not part of Minangkabau. Together, Tapan and Minangkabau would form a Greater Minangkabau subgroup.
[Kurniati, S., Putri, Y. P., Wichmann, S., & Gil, D. (2011). Tapan: An Exploration in Malayic Subgrouping. Paper presented at the ''15th International Symposium on Malay Indonesian Linguistics (ISMIL 15)''.] The two languages
Tapan and
Muko-Muko form a ''
Lunangic'' subgroup within the ''Minangic'' (Greater Minangkabau) language group.
[Gil, D. & McKinnon, T. (2015). Excrescent Nasals in Malayic Dialects of Western Sumatra. Paper presented at the ''13th International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics (13-ICAL)''.]
The Minangic subgroup is characterized by the following word-final sound changes.
* *V
i‹ > V
iƒÅ‹
* *us > uÄh
* *at > eÊ”
* *as > eh
* *is > ih
Phonology
The sound inventory of Minangkabau is listed below:
Diphthongs: , , , , .
Example
Sentences
Numerals
See also
*
Minangkabau people
Minangkabau people ( min, Urang Minang; Indonesian or Malay: ''Orang Minangkabau'' or ''Minangkabo''; Jawi: Ù…Ù†Ú ÙƒØ¨Ùˆ), also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesi ...
*
Overseas Minangkabau
The Overseas Minangkabau is a demographic group of Minangkabau people of Minangkabau Highlands origin in Central Sumatra, Indonesia who have settled in other parts of the world. Over half of the Minangkabau people can be considered overseas Min ...
References
Further reading
Nurlela Adnan, Ermitati, Rosnida M. Nur, Pusat Bahasa (Indonesia), Balai Pustaka (Persero), PT. 2001 - ''Indonesian-Minangkabau dictionary'' (''Kamus bahasa Indonesia-Minangkabau''), 841 pages.]
*Marjusman Maksan, Yulina Kasim, Tamsin Medan, Syamsir Arifin, Basri, A. Razak Sikumbang, 1984, ''Geografi Dialek Bahasa Minangbakau'', Jakarta, Pusat Pembinaan Dan Pengembangan Bahasa Departemen Pendidikan Dan Kebudayaan, 1984.
* ''Tata Bahasa Minangkabau'', Gerard Moussay (original title ''La Langue Minangkabau'', translated from French by Rahayu S. Hidayat), .
External links
Rosetta Project: Minangkabau Swadesh List
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minangkabau Language
Agglutinative languages
Languages of Indonesia
Languages of Malaysia
Minangkabau
Malayic languages
Languages of Sumatra
Languages of Aceh