Kédang (Kdang, Dang, Kedangese) is a language spoken in the Kedang region on the north coast ofLembata Island, east ofFlores, inIndonesia. The language belongs to theAustronesian family and its sub-family,Malayo-Polynesian.^[2] More specifically, the language is within theFlores-Lembata sub-group.^[2] There are approximately 30,000 speakers of the language.

The name of the language is also the name of the region where the language is spoken, Kedang.^[3] The region extends to about 266 square kilometres including two administrative districts – Omesuri and Buyasuri.^[3] As of today, there are approximately about 30,000 speakers of the language.^[2] The majority of the speakers is engaged in agricultural productions which are mainly farming and fishing.^[3] Most speakers are Catholic or Muslim but a few may still retain their traditional spiritual beliefs.^[4]

Kédang has a total of twelve vowels in its language, separated into two sets evenly with six vowels per set.^[5] One set is composed of modal vowels or also known as normal vowels while the other set is breathy vowels.^[5] The vowels can be distinct by two different methods: by the word initial position and by the pitch. Modal vowels (normal vowels) occur in the middle and the final position while breathy vowels do not.^[5] While the breathy vowels are pronounced at a lower pitch.^[5][6]

There are twenty consonants in the Kédang alphabet.^[7] The consonants display different manners of articulation includingplosives,nasals,lateral,flap,trill,fricatives andcontinuant.^[7][6]

Kédang developed its word classes to includenouns,pronouns,adjectives,verbs,adverbs,numerals,prepositions,interjections,conjunctions andclassifiers.^[8]

Nouns are formed whenaffixes are added to the verbs. Kédang's affixes are thenominalizingprefix N-, thenominalizinginfix -an-, thesuffix -n and the free form wala.^[9]

• The nominalizing prefix N- replaces the initial consonant.^[9] For example:
  • t → ntadaq 'to advise' →nadaq 'advice'^[9]
  • k → nkariq 'to speak' →nariq 'language'^[9]
• The nominalizing infix-an- is added after the initial consonant.^[10] For example:
  • kawang 'to flow' →kanawang 'current'^[10]
  • tangul 'to cover a pot with a lid' →tanangul 'lid'^[10]
• The suffix-n is added to verbs and adjectives at the end of the words.^[11] For example:
  • dei 'to follow' →dein 'offspring'^[11]
  • mate 'dead' →maten 'corpse'^[11]
• The free formwala follows after a verb to indicate the person who is acting out the verb.^[11] For examples:
  • durung 'to sell' →durungwala 'seller'^[11]
  • huang 'to play' →huangwala 'player'^[11]

Kédang's pronouns follow the three-way system of singular-dual-plural. They are divided into seven categories:personal,emphatic,possessive, emphatic-possessive, adessive, agent focus and action focus.^[12]

Kédang adjectives are divided into two functions:predicative andattributive.^[13] In order to distinguish these two functions, a suffix -n is added after the end vowel of a predicative adjective for it to become attributive.^[13] If the adjective ends with a consonant, there will be no change.^[13]

There is only one verb tense in Kédang that is fully developed –future tense.^[14] The other tenses usually require an adverb that indicates time (past, present or future) to support the content along with the verb used.^[14]

• Samely, Ursula (1991).Kedang (Eastern Indonesia): some aspects of its grammar. Hamburg: Buske.ISBN 3875480163.
• Samely, Ursula; Barnes, Robert H. (2013).A Dictionary of the Kedang Language: Kedang-Indonesian-English. Leiden: Brill.ISBN 978-9004256361.

• Flores-Lembata languages
• Languages of Indonesia

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• Language articles citing Ethnologue 18
• Articles with short description
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• Articles containing Kedang-language text