| Pesisir | |
|---|---|
| Baiko | |
| Bahaso Pasisi | |
| Native to | Indonesia (North Sumatra) |
| Region | Sibolga,Central Tapanuli and the coastal areas ofSouth Tapanuli andMandailing Natal |
| Ethnicity | Pesisir |
Native speakers | 84,444 (2010)[1] |
| Dialects |
|
| Latin (Indonesian alphabet) | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | None |
 Regencies and cities in North Sumatra where Pesisir is spoken by the majority of the population Regencies and cities in North Sumatra where Pesisir is spoken by a significant minority of the population | |
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ThePesisir language (Pesisir:Bahaso Pasisi,Indonesian:Bahasa Pesisir,lit. 'coastal language'), also known asBaiko (Pesisir:Bahaso Baiko),[2] is a dialect of theMinangkabau language spoken by the Pesisir people inNorth Sumatra,Indonesia. ThePesisir people are descendants of theMinangkabau who migrated to Tapanuli from present-dayWest Sumatra in the14th century and intermingled with other ethnic groups, including theBataks andAcehnese.[3] The Pesisir people reside inCentral Tapanuli,Sibolga, the coastal areas ofSouth Tapanuli, andMandailing Natal, along the western coastline of North Sumatra. The history of this language began with the arrival of Minangkabau migrants fromPariaman inWest Sumatra, who came to trade along the northern west coast of Sumatra. These migrants then made contact with other ethnic groups, resulting in a linguistic acculturation with both languages.[4] As a result, the Pesisir language shares similarities with the Pariaman dialect of Minangkabau and has also been influenced by theBatak languages.[5]
The Pesisir language of Sibolga serves as alingua franca for the people of Sibolga and Central Tapanuli. The Pesisir language is used as a means of communication. In daily interactions, the Pesisir language plays an important role. This role can be seen in many aspects of their lives, such as activities in the market, greetings, working on the beach and at sea, visiting, joking, and playing. The use of the language in these aspects is not limited to certain groups but encompasses all members of society, from children to the elderly.[6]
The Pesisir language is aMalayic language. Speakers of Malayic languages are spread fromBrunei, Indonesia,Malaysia,Singapore,Southern Thailand, to the southernmost part of thePhilippines. Malay is a member of theAustronesian family of languages, which includes languages fromTaiwan,Southeast Asia, and thePacific Ocean, with a smaller number in continentalAsia.Malagasy, a geographic outlier spoken inMadagascar in theIndian Ocean, is also a member of this language family. Although these languages are not necessarilymutually intelligible to any extent, their similarities are often quite apparent. In more conservative languages like Malay, many roots have come with relatively little change from their common ancestor,Proto-Austronesian. There are manycognates found in the languages' words for kinship, health, body parts and common animals. Numbers, especially, show remarkable similarities.[7]
The Pesisir language closely resembles theMinangkabau language, particularly the Pariaman dialect.[4] Lexically, it shares about 70% to 80% of its vocabulary with standard Minangkabau, while only about 20% withBatak Toba.[8] Research suggests that Pesisir and Minangkabau were once the same language but began to diverge around the14th century.[8] Over time, the Pesisir language has developed its own distinct features, influenced by interactions with other local languages such as Batak andAcehnese. While most of the vocabularies in the Pesisir language are derived from standard Minangkabau, the intonation, rhythm, and stress of the language are more closely aligned with the Batak languages.[9] Nevertheless, due to these linguistic similarities, most studies still classify the Pesisir language as a dialect of Minangkabau, though some also consider it a dialect of Batak orMalay.[10][11]
The Pesisir language is predominantly spoken by thePesisir people along the western coast ofNorth Sumatra, particularly inCentral Tapanuli,Sibolga, and the coastal areas ofSouth Tapanuli andMandailing Natal. Its geographical range overlaps with that of theToba Batak, andMandailing languages, which are also widely spoken in these regions. InSibolga, the Pesisir language is more commonly used by the residents of South Sibolga and Sibolga Sambas. In these areas, the majority of the population consists of fishermen who use the Pesisir language in their daily lives. Meanwhile, in North Sibolga,Batak is more predominantly spoken. In Sibolga Kota, both languages are generally used, althoughIndonesian is more commonly spoken. However, in general, the people of Sibolga are usually able to speak both the Pesisir language and Batak, in addition to Indonesian.[5] Meanwhile, inBarus, Central Tapanuli, it is common for locals tocode-switch between the Pesisir, Toba Batak, and Indonesian in the marketplace, adjusting to the language spoken by their customers.[12]
InSibolga and the surrounding areas, the Pesisir language holds a vital role in everyday social interactions, evident across numerous aspects of community life. This widespread use reflects the language's importance in maintaining social cohesion and cultural identity within the Pesisir community.[13] Most Pesisir people are bilingual, fluent in both the Pesisir andIndonesian.[14] In some areas, young students—typically up to grade three—are also taught in the local language. However, Indonesian remains the primary medium of instruction in education and is widely used for official matters. In Sibolga, no schools currently use the Pesisir language as a medium of instruction, whether in spoken or written form. The lack of educational materials, such as books and other learning resources in the Pesisir language, is a significant barrier. This situation is closely linked to the limited number of teachers and students proficient in the Pesisir language.[13]
There are no official statistics on the number of dialects in the Pesisir language. However, studies suggest the existence of four distinct dialects: Barus, Sibolga, Singkuang, and Sorkam.[4][15] The differences between these dialects primarily lie in theirphonology, while their grammar and lexicon remain largely identical.[4] For example, the wordhead is pronounced askapalo in the Barus and Sibolga dialects, whereas in the Singkuang dialect, it is pronounced askepalo. The Sibolga dialect is widely regarded as theprestige variety of the Pesisir language due to its extensive documentation, frequent use in formal settings, and active promotion in both academic and cultural contexts.
Like many other regional languages in Indonesia, the Pesisir language lacks a standardized phonological system. However, some of the phonological system designed for the Pesisir language is loosely inspired by standardMinangkabau phonology used inWest Sumatra, which itself is influenced by standardIndonesian orthography.
Like standardMinangkabau, the Pesisir language features only fivevowels: /a, e, i, o, u/. The key distinction is that the vowel /a/ is an open-central vowel in standard Minangkabau, whereas it is an open-front vowel in the Pesisir language.[16][17]
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u | |
| Mid | e | o | |
| Open | a |
The Pesisir language has 19 differentconsonants, similar to standard Minangkabau.[18]
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||
| Plosive/ | voiceless | p | t | t͡ʃ | k | ʔ |
| voiced | b | d | d͡ʒ | ɡ | ||
| Fricative | s | h | ||||
| Lateral | l | |||||
| Rhotic | r | |||||
| Semivowel | w | j | ||||
Notes:
In writing, the following phonemes are represented as thus:
The Pesisir language features twelvediphthongs, typically found at the end of words: /ai̯/, /au̯/, /ae̯/, /iu̯/, /ia̯/, /uo̯/, /ua̯/, /ei̯/, /io̯/, /eo̯/, /ie̯/ and /ui̯/.[19] Examples of these diphthongs in use are shown below:
Like many otherlanguages in Indonesia, the Pesisir language exhibits agglutinative characteristics, forming words through linear sequences of morphemes. Its sentence structure generally follows asubject-verb-object (SVO) order, a pattern commonly observed in many Indonesian languages.[20] While there are some notable exceptions, the grammar structure of the Pesisir language shares many similarities withIndonesian andMalay.
There are three types of affixes in the Pesisir language, namelyprefixes,suffixes, andcircumfixes.[21] Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word, suffixes to the end, and confixes combine elements at both the beginning and end.
Example of prefixes commonly found in the Pesisir language arema-, pa-, ta-, di-, ba-, andsa-.[21]
The prefixma- has five forms:ma-,man-,mang-,mam-, andmany-. The function of the prefixma- is to activate verbs in declarative sentences or to transform nouns into verbs. The meaning of the prefixma- is "to perform an action" or "to perform an action using a tool." For example:
The prefixba- has two forms:ba- andbar-. The function of the prefixba- is to transform nouns into verbs, make verbs intransitive, or modify numeral types. The meaning of the prefixba- includes "to have," "to perform an action," "to use a title or form of address," or "to indicate unity (togetherness)." For example:
The prefixpa- has the formspa-,pan-,pam-,pang-, andpany-. The function of the prefixpa- is to transform verbs into nouns or to modify the type of noun. The meaning of the prefixpa- is to indicate "having a characteristic," to refer to "a person who (likes to) perform an action," to describe "a person who performs an action using something," or to refer to "a person whose job is related to or involves taking something." For example:
The prefixta- has two forms:ta- andtar-. The function of the prefixta- is to make verbs passive, modify the meaning of intransitive verbs, or indicate adjectives. The meaning of the prefixta- conveys "can" or "inadvertently," performing an action unconsciously or involuntarily, or "the most." For example:
The prefixdi- has only one form:di-. The function of the prefixdi- is to make verbs passive. Its meaning is "to be subjected to an action." For example:
In the Pesisir language, there are three suffixes:-i,-an, and-kan.[22]
The suffix-i has only one form:-i. The function of the suffix-i is to transform nouns into verbs or to form repetitive verbs. Its meaning is "to give or apply" or to indicate repetition. For example:
The suffix-an has the forms-an,-kan, and-ran. The function of the suffix-an is to transform verbs into nouns. Its meaning indicates "the one who is subjected to the action." For example:
The suffix-kan has only one form:-kan. The function of the suffix-kan is to form benefactive transitive verbs. Its meaning expresses "an order or a request. For example:
There are four confixes in the Pesisir language, namely:ka-...-an,di-...-an,pa-...-an, andbasi-...-an.[23]
The confixka-...-an has the formska-...-kan,ka-...-an, andka-...-ran. Its functions include transforming verbs into passive verbs, turning nouns into passive verbs, changing the type of adjective, or forming abstract nouns. The meaning ofka-...-an indicates "subjected to an action," "too (very)," or "state/condition." For example:
The confixpa-...-an has the formspa-...-an,pan-...-an,pang-...-an,pany-...-an, andpam-...-an. Its function is to change the meaning of nouns and transform verbs into nouns. The meaning ofpa-...-an indicates "a place where something is obtained, done, or used." For example:
The confixbasi-...-an has the formsbasi-...-an andbasi-...-kan. Its function is to form reciprocal verbs. The meaning ofbasi-...-an is "mutual" or "each other." For example:
Reduplication in the Pesisir language consists of two parts: base word reduplication and affixed word reduplication.[24]
Base word reduplication does not involve any change in the word form. The purpose of base word reduplication is to modify the meaning of the word. It signifies pluralization when the base word is a noun and conveys "carrying out an action in a relaxed manner" when the base word is a verb. For example:
Affixed word reduplication serves various functions and carries different meanings depending on the affixes applied. For instance, reduplication with the prefixma- functions to form verbs from nouns or modify the meaning of verbs. This type of reduplication conveys meanings such as "performing an action in a way that pleases the doer" or "carrying out an action playfully." Similarly, reduplication with the prefixba- functions to make verbs intransitive, create repetitive verbs, or alter the meaning of adjectives. The meanings associated with this reduplication include "using as a form of address or utilizing," "performing actions repeatedly," or "very." Examples include:
Compound words in the Pesisir language can be analyzed from two perspectives: their constituent elements and the meaning they convey.[25] The constituent elements of compound words in the Pesisir language are divided into three types: adjective + noun, verb + noun, and verb + verb. The meaning of compound words is often figurative, although in some cases, the meaning can still be derived from the individual elements that compose them. Example of compounds are:
Nouns in the Pesisir language have several characteristics, such as being formed using affixes-an,ka-...-an, andpa-...-an, being pluralized through reduplication, being followed by demonstrative pronouns, being replaced by interrogative pronouns, or being preceded bynumerals.[26] Nouns can be classified into two categories: countable and uncountable. Countable nouns often require specific classifiers or measuring words depending on the context. For example,urang 'person' is used for people,ikku 'tail' for animals, andbijo 'fruit' for objects like fruits, among others.[27] Examples are:
Examples of uncountable nouns are:
Verbs in the Pesisir language have several characteristics, such as being able to be prefixed withma- orba- or suffixed with-kan and-i, and they can be madepassive with the prefixesdi- andta-.[28] Verbs can be divided into three categories: verbs that cannot be followed by nouns, verbs that can be followed by a single noun, and verbs that can be followed by a noun followed by a particle and another noun. Example of verbs that cannot be followed by nouns are:
Examples of verbs that can be followed by a single noun are:
Examples of verbs that can be followed by a noun followed by a particle and another noun are:
Adjectives in the Pesisir language have several characteristics, such as being followed by a noun, preceded by the affixesta-,sa-, and-an, or being followed by the particlebana 'very'.[29] Adjectives in the Pesisir language can be divided into three categories: simple adjectives, which do not indicate comparison or excessiveness;comparative adjectives, which show comparison; and excessive (or superlative) adjectives, which indicate an exaggerated or excessive state. Comparative adjectives can be further divided into three subcategories: equal comparative adjectives, which express equality; more-than comparative adjectives, which indicate a higher degree; and most comparative adjectives, which express the highest degree.
Examples of simple adjectives are:
Examples of comparative adjectives are:
Examples of excessive adjectives are:
Numerals are typically followed directly by nouns in the Pesisir language. Numerals are divided into three types:cardinal numbers,indefinite numbers, andcollective numbers.[30] Examples of cardinal numbers are:
Examples of indefinite numbers are:
Examples of collective numbers are:
Most of the vocabularies in the Pesisir language are derived fromMinangkabau, specifically the Pariaman dialect spoken inPariaman andPadang Pariaman Regency inWest Sumatra.[8] However, the Pesisir language has absorbed loanwords fromBatak andMalay, as well as from standardIndonesian, like many other regional languages in Indonesia.[31] The table below provides examples of common Pesisir vocabulary used on a daily basis along with their Standard Minangkabau, Indonesian, and English translations.
| Number | Pesisir | Standard Minangkabau | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | satu | ciek, satu, aso | satu | one |
| 2 | duo | duo | dua | two |
| 3 | tigo | tigo | tiga | three |
| 4 | ampek | ampek | empat | four |
| 5 | limo | limo | lima | five |
| 6 | anam | anam | enam | six |
| 7 | tuju | tujuah | tujuh | seven |
| 8 | salapan | lapan | delapan | eight |
| 9 | sambilan | sambilan | sembilan | nine |
| 10 | sapulu | sapuluah | sepuluh | ten |
| 11 | sabale | sabaleh | sebelas | eleven |
| 15 | limo bale | limo baleh | lima belas | fifteen |
| 50 | limo pulu | limo puluah | lima puluh | fifty |
| 100 | saratui | saratuih | seratus | one hundred |
| 150 | saratui limo pulu | saratuih limo puluah | seratus lima puluh | one hundred and fifty |
| 500 | limo ratui | limo ratuih | lima ratus | five hundred |
| 1000 | saribu | saribu | seribu | one thousand |
| Pesisir | Standard Minangkabau | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ikko | iko | ini | this |
| innun | itu | itu | that |
| sikko | siko | sini | here |
| situ | sinan | sana | there |
| disikko | disiko | di sini | over here |
| disitu | disinan | di sana | over there |
| salatan | salatan | selatan | south |
| utaro | utara | utara | north |
| barat | barat, baraik | barat | west |
| timur | timur, timo | timur | east |
| Pesisir | Standard Minangkabau | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ambo | ambo, awak | aku, saya | I, me |
| ang, munak, awakang | ang, waang, awak, kau | kamu, engkau | you (singular) |
| munak | kalian | kalian | you (prural) |
| inyo, awaknyo | inyo, wakno, ano | dia | he/she |
| kami, kito | awak, kami, kito | kita | we |
| sidak, sadonyo | urang-urang | mereka | they |
| Pesisir | Standard Minangkabau | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| apo | a, apo | apa | what |
| siapo | sia, siapo | siapa | who |
| mangapo | mangapo, manga, dek a | mengapa | why |
| dimano | dimano, dima | dimana | where |
| bagaimano | bagaimano, ba a | bagaimana | how |
| pabilo | bilo | kapan | when |
| Pesisir | Standard Minangkabau | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| laki-laki | laki-laki | laki-laki | man |
| padusi | padusi | perempuan | woman |
| urang | urang, ughang | orang | people |
| lauk | ikan, lauak | ikan | fish |
| batang | pokok, pohon | pohon | tree |
| kulik | kulik | kulit | skin |
| tulang | tulang | tulang | bone |
| ikku | ikua | ekor | tail |
| rambuk | rambuik | rambut | hair |
| mato | mato | mata | eye |
| talingo | talingo | telinga | ear |
| gigik | gigi | gigi | tooth |
| muluk, muncung | muluik, muncuang | mulut | mouth |
| idung | iduang | hidung | nose |
| lawik | lauik | laut | sea |
| bua | buah | buah | fruit |
| angin | angin | angin | wind |
| pasi | pasia, kasiak | pasir | sand |
| batu | batu | batu | stone |
| ai | aie, aia | air | water |
| kabuk | kabuik | kabut | fog |
| ambun | awan | awan | cloud |
| asok | asok | asap | smoke |
| Pesisir | Standard Minangkabau | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| minum | minum | minum | drink |
| makkan | makan | makan | eat |
| liek | lieq | lihat | see |
| main | main | main | play |
| jatu | jatuah | jatuh | to fall |
| tidu | tidua, lalok | tidur | sleep |
| duduk | duduak | duduk | sit |
| tagak | tagak | berdiri | stand |
| baranang | baranang | berenang | swim |
| bajalan | bajalan | berjalan | walk |
| bagolek | babariang, bagolek | berbaring | lie down |
| basu | basuah, cuci | cuci | wash |
| datang | datang, tibo | datang | arrive |
| bahei | baeh | lempar | to throw |
| mahampok | mamukua, malantuang | memukul | to punch |
| gigik | gigik | gigit | to bite |
| elak | elo | tarik | pull |
| Pesisir | Standard Minangkabau | Indonesian | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| baharu | baru | baru | new |
| lamo | lamo | lama | old |
| sajuk | dingin, sajuak | dingin, sejuk | cold |
| pane | paneh, angek | panas | hot |
| gadang | gadang, godang | besar | large |
| tenggi | tinggi, tenggi | tinggi | tall |
| panjang | panjang | panjang | long |
| rancak | rancak, kamek | cantik | pretty |
| tipih | tipih | tipis | thin |
| lawe | laweh | luas | wide |
| lamak | lamak | sedap, enak | delicious |
| karing | kariang | kering | dry |
| panu | panuah | penuh | full |
| banyak | banyak | banyak | many |
| mabuk | mabuak | mabuk | drunk |
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