| Bilah–Panai Malay | |
|---|---|
| Labuhanbatu Malay | |
| Bahaso Melayu Bilah–Panai | |
| Native to | Indonesia |
| Region | |
| Ethnicity | Bilah Malays Panai Malays |
Native speakers | 513,000[1] |
| Dialects | |
| Latin Jawi | |
| Official status | |
Recognised minority language in | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | None |
 Areas where varieties of East Sumatran Malay (incl. Bilah–Panai Malay) are spoken by the majority of the population Areas where varieties of East Sumatran Malay (incl. Bilah–Panai Malay) are spoken by a minority of the population | |
Bilah–Panai Malay orLabuhanbatu Malay is a dialect ofMalay language spoken in the former territories ofBilah Sultanate andPanai Sultanate which are currently administratively located inLabuhanbatu Regency,North Sumatra. This dialect has a slight difference from other Malay dialects on the east coast of North Sumatra where the letter [r] is pronounced nasally so that it sounds like the sound [gh].
Bilah–Panai Malay is spoken by approximately 513,000 speakers fromLabuhanbatu Regency.[1] The speakers are divided into two sub-ethnics, namely Bilah Malays and Panai Malays.[2] There is not much difference between them, the names are only based on the history of the region in which they live, for example the Bilah Malays is a population that inhabits the formerBilah Sultanate,[3] while the Panai Malays is a population that inhabits the formerPanai Sultanate.[4] Linguistically and culturally, they are basically identical, almost indistinguishable.
Not only used by the Malay people, this language is also a bass for themultiethnic community in Labuhanbatu, such as theJavanese who are the majority, then theBatak peoples, especially theToba Batak,Angkola–Mandailing, as well as theMinangkabau, and other ethnic groups.[5] However, from year to year, the use of this language continues to decline, replaced byIndonesian language as the more commonly used everyday language. Most speakers of Bilah–Panai Malay are currently only found in coastal areas inhabited by Malay people.[6]
In general, Labuhanbatu Malay can be divided into two dialects: the Bilah dialect and the Panai dialect.
The Bilah dialect is spoken in the districts of Pangkatan, Bilah Hulu, West Bilah, andRantau Prapat. The distribution area is around theBilah River. In Rantau Prapat, which is the district capital, the languages used are more diverse, other languages are also used, such asIndonesian,Angkola–Mandailing,Toba, andJavanese. This also influences the Malay language used there to be more diverse in its vocabulary through absorption from other languages.[7]
The Panai dialect is spoken in the districts of Panai Hilir, Panai Hulu, Central Panai, and Bilah Hilir. The population living in these 4 districts is 181,302 people, with a percentage of 36.70% of the population of Labuhanbatu Regency (Labuhanbatu RegencyCentral Statistics Agency, 2023). Its distribution area is around theBarumun River.[8]
The following are some oral literatures in Bilah–Panai Malay:[9]
The following is vocabulary that is commonly used in the Bilah–Panai Malay, as well as its comparison withIndonesian.
| Gloss | Bilah–Panai Malay | Indonesian | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| exist | ado | ada | [10] |
| no | indak | tidak | |
| from | daghi | dari | |
| think | kigha | kira,pikir | |
| see | tengok | lihat | |
| age | umugh | umur | |
| father | ayah | ayah | |
| mother | amak | ibu |
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