| Bengkulu Malay | |
|---|---|
| Bahaso Bengkulu | |
| Region | Bengkulu,Sumatra |
| Ethnicity | Bengkulu Malays |
Native speakers | 66,000[1] |
Austronesian
| |
| Latin,Jawi, andRejang | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | bke (merged intopse in 2008)[2] |
pse-ben Bengkulu, Bencoolen, Bengkulan | |
| Glottolog | beng1290 |
| Linguasphere | 33-AFA-du |
 Areas where Bengkulu Malay is a majority Areas where Bengkulu Malay is a significant minority | |
| This article containsIPA phonetic symbols. Without properrendering support, you may seequestion marks, boxes, or other symbols instead ofUnicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, seeHelp:IPA. | |
Bengkulu Malay, or simplyBengkulu, is aMalayic language spoken primarily in the province ofBengkulu,Indonesia, includingBengkulu City and surrounding areas, as well as parts ofPesisir Barat Regency in the province ofLampung. It is the native language of theBengkulu Malays and is more closely related to other Central Sumatra Malay varieties, such asCol,Jambi Malay,Palembang Malay, andMinangkabau, than to theRejang language, which is also spoken in the province.
The Bengkulu Malay isthreatened with extinction. In 2021, only about 50% of the people of Bengkulu City still actively speaks the language, namely the residents who live in the coastal area which is calledKampung Lamo. Overall, Bengkulu Malay received a score of 44%, so the status of its language vitality is endangered because it is in the range of 41–60%.[3]
Bengkulu Malay is mostly spoken inBengkulu City,North Bengkulu Regency, parts ofCentral Bengkulu Regency, and the coast fromSeluma Regency to thePesisir Barat Regency in the province ofLampung.[4] Its speakers can also be found in the Bengkulu highlands, inCurup,Rejang Lebong Regency, amidstRejang speakers.[5]
Apart from Indonesia, Bengkulu Malay speakers also exist in their region inMalaysia, specifically inSungai Choh,Selangor. TheBengkulu Malays have lived there for three generations and still maintain the Bengkulu Malay.[6]
TheBengkulu Malays primarily speak Bengkulu Malay, a regional variant of theMalayic languages that has developed through assimilation with various cultures.[7] It serves as the dominant language inBengkulu City and is widely used as alingua franca across the province, facilitating communication between different ethnic groups.
As the most widely spoken language in the province of Bengkulu, Bengkulu Malay holds an important cultural and social role.[7] While native to the Bengkulu Malays, it is also used by other ethnic groups, includingLembak,Rejang,Batak, andChinese communities. In rural areas, in the, where indigenous languages such asRejang andMukomuko are still spoken, Bengkulu Malay remains a common means of interethnic communication.
Despite linguistic diversity in the province, Bengkulu Malay continues to function as a symbol of identity for the Bengkulu Malays, reflecting their history, traditions, and cultural adaptability.[7]
Bengkulu Malay has been influenced by several regional and foreign languages, includingRejang,Serawai,Pekal,Mukomuko,Minangkabau,Javanese,Arabic,English, andDutch. Many loanwords from these languages have been incorporated into its vocabulary. For example, words such askilap 'lightning',maap 'sorry',surgo 'heaven', andnerako 'hell' come from Arabic, while terms likekabat 'cupboard',jel 'jail', andpakit 'pocket' come from English. Meanwhile, Dutch influences can be seen in words likeban 'tire' andbangku 'bench'.[7]
Bengkulu is written in theLatin,Jawi, and sometimes inRejang scripts.
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | voiceless | p⟨p⟩ | t⟨t⟩ | tɕ⟨c⟩ | k⟨k⟩ | ʔ⟨k⟩ (coda) |
| voiced | b⟨b⟩ | d⟨d⟩ | dʑ⟨j⟩ | ɡ⟨g⟩ | ||
| Nasal | m⟨m⟩ | n⟨n⟩ | ɲ⟨ny⟩,⟨n⟩ (before c/j) | ŋ⟨ng⟩ | ||
| Fricative | s⟨s⟩ | ɕ⟨si⟩ | (h⟨h⟩) (coda) | |||
| Lateral | l⟨l⟩ | |||||
| Tap | ɾ⟨r⟩ | |||||
| Semivowel | j⟨y⟩ | w⟨w⟩ | ||||
The letters⟨f⟩,⟨sy⟩,⟨v⟩ and⟨z⟩ are used in loanwords fromIndonesian.
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i⟨i⟩ | u⟨u⟩ | |
| Middle | ɛ⟨e/é⟩ | ə⟨e⟩ | ɔ⟨o⟩ |
| Open | a~ɑ⟨a⟩ | ||
Bengkuludiphthongs are⟨ai⟩,⟨au⟩.
Authority control databases: National |
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