Internal classification
The Batak languages can be divided into two main branches, Northern Batak and Southern Batak. Simalungun was long considered an intermediary, but in current classifications it is recognized as part of the Southern branch.Adelaar, K. A. (1981). "Reconstruction of Proto-Batak Phonology". In Robert A. Blust (ed.), ''Historical Linguistics in Indonesia: Part I'', 1-20. Jakarta: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya. Within Northern Batak, a study noted 76% cognate words between Karo and Alas, 81% with Pakpak, 80% with Simalungun, and 30% with Malay (Indonesian).The Austronesian languages of Asia and Madagascar. K. Alexander Adelaar, Nikolaus Himmelmann, p. 535 Karo and Toba Batak are mutually unintelligible. Mandailing and Angkola are closer related to each other than to Toba. The geographical influences on the Batak languages can be seen in the map in the infobox; Lake Toba separates the Karo from direct contact with the Toba.Reconstruction
The Batak languages can be shown to descend from a hypothetical common ancestor, Proto-Batak (which in turn originates from Proto-Austronesian). The sound system of Proto-Batak was reconstructed by Adelaar (1981). Final diphthongs: *-uy, *-ey, *-ow. The Proto-Batak sounds underwent the following changes in the individual daughter languages: * Proto-Batak *k became ''h'' in initial and medial position in the Southern Batak languages: :: Proto-Batak > Toba, Simalungun ; Karo 'person' :: Proto-Batak > Toba, Simalungun ; Karo 'grass' * Proto-Batak *h was lost in Toba, Angkola and Mandailing: :: Proto-Batak > Toba , Simalungun , Karo /pərəh/ 'wring out' * Proto-Batak final voiced stops *b, *d, and *g are retained only in Simalungun. In Toba, Angkola and Mandailing, they are unvoiced, while in the Northern Batak languages, they changed to Homorganic consonant, homorganic nasals (/m/, /n/, /ŋ/): :: Proto-Batak > Simalungun , Toba , Karo /dələŋ/ 'mountain'. * The central vowel *ə is retained in the Northern languages, and shifted to /o/ in the Southern languages: ::Proto-Batak > Karo (/ənəm/), Toba 'six' * Proto-Batak diphthongs are only retained in Simalungun, but shifted to Monophthongization, monophthongs in all other Batak languages: ::Proto-Batak > Simalungun ; all other languages 'fire' ::Proto-Batak > Simalungun ; all other languages 'dead' ::Proto-Batak > Simalungun ; all other languages 'island'Writing system
Historically, the Batak languages were written using the Batak script, but the Latin script is now used for most writing.References
External links
* http://unicode-table.com/en/sections/batak/