Languages in Indonesia: These are the 3 biggest regional languages
en.satupiston.com - Indonesia is one of the biggest developing countries found in Southeast Asia. Known as the country for its thousands of islands, Indonesia also has many languages. Since Indonesia consists of many different tribes and ethnicity, languages in Indonesia are also varied. However, the national language is still "Bahasa" or the Indonesian language.
“Bahasa”
Bahasa is the first language Indonesian spoke in their
country. "Bahasa" is usually spoken for formal conversation,
government announcement, or any related to formal events. That can be said,
"Bahasa" is the official language in Indonesia.
Since Indonesia is the fourth country with the biggest
population on earth, "Bahasa" also becomes one of the languages that
is widely spoken in the world.
Other Languages in Indonesia
Aside from its official language, Indonesia also has many
different local languages. The most popular three local languages are Javanese,
Balinese, and Sundanese. Although there are many more languages such as Batak,
Madura, Aceh, Minangkabau, Betawi, Bugis, Makassar, Sasak, Gorontalo, and
Lampung, the three mentioned earlier is the most widely spoken and popular in
Indonesia.
Javanese
The Javanese language is spoken mostly by the people living
on Java Island. Java Island itself is the most populous island in Indonesia
with more than 50% of Indonesian lived there. Java island itself is divided
into three regions, West Java, Central Java, and East Java. People in Central
Java and East Java speak the Javanese language. The West Java people speak with
Sundanese.
The Javanese language is divided into two kinds of language.
The first one is the Kromo language which is spoken by the youngster in Java to
the elderly. This kind of language is like a more polite language. The second
one is the Ngoko language which is defined as the more impolite language. Ngoko
is usually spoken by the fellow youngster or people of the same age.
Sundanese
Sundanese is the branch language of Melayu-Polinesian in the
Austronesian language family. Sundanese is spoken by at least more than 40
million people in West Java and Banten. This makes Sundanese become the second
language widely spoken in Indonesia after the Javanese language.
There is also the level of politeness in Sundanese from the
selection of words and vocabs. Just like Kromo and Ngoko in the Javanese Language.
Balinese
Balinese is the language that is widely spoken in Bali,
Lombok Island, and the eastern tip of the island of Java. Balinese also have a
level of politeness just like Sundanese and Javanese. There is Bali Madya, Bali
Kasar, and Bali Alus. Bali Madya is like a neutral language that is spoken by
people of the same age. Bali Alus is the kind of more polite Balinese language,
and the Bali Kasar is the opposite of the Bali Alus.
Well, there you go, that is all the explanation of languages
in Indonesia. All languages explained above also have different dialects based
on geographical location. Such as Javanese, there is a dialect called
"ngapak" which is widely spoken by the people at the end of Central
Java near West Java. Although the dialect made it seems like a very different
language, but the core of the language itself is the same Javanese.