The Austronesian peoples are traditionally known for their seafaring cultures and practices, and their expansion into the islands of the vast Pacific. With ocean currents, winds, ship building, and their knowledge of navigating using the stars, these practices particularly well documented amongst the Polynesian cultures have helped them make contact with almost every island in … Continue reading Finding my way in the Austronesian languages
Indonesia
Introduction to formal & informal speech in some Austronesian languages
When learning some of the Austronesian languages, I cannot help but to notice the different patterns of speech that are used when talking to friends and family compared to the speech that is used when talking to people of greater seniority or higher social hierarchy. My observation first started with Bahasa Melayu, taking notice to … Continue reading Introduction to formal & informal speech in some Austronesian languages
A look into Indonesia’s unusual Austronesian language
Pulau Enggano is a small outlying island just off the southwestern coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Around 110 km just off the southwestern coasts of the island of Sumatra, lies an outlying island called Pulau Enggano. Home to around 4000 to 5000 people, around under a half of the island's residents belong to the Enggano or … Continue reading A look into Indonesia’s unusual Austronesian language
What on Earth is the “Austronesian alignment”?
If you are learning languages like Tagalog, you might have encountered this very term at some point, especially when we talk about how Tagalog sentences are constructed. This term can also go by several names, namely, the Austronesian alignment, the symmetrical voice, the Philippine-style voice system, and the Austronesian focus system. As the name might … Continue reading What on Earth is the “Austronesian alignment”?
Using Hangul to write … other languages?
One of the most defining features of the Korean language is the use of Hangul characters. While we know that Korean is the language Hangul is predominantly used in reading and writing, there are other indeed other languages that use or sort of use Hangul. Previously, and by that, I mean several years ago, we … Continue reading Using Hangul to write … other languages?
The language on the highest mountain of an island
When we talk about the highest points on Earth, we only ever talk about Mt Everest. It is no doubt the top of the world, but its status as the tallest mountain is under debate, since Hawai'i's Mauna Kea, when measured from its underwater base to summit, stands at 9330m, around 500 metres taller than … Continue reading The language on the highest mountain of an island
The language with four-cornered letters — Bugis (ᨅᨔ ᨕᨘᨁᨗ) and the Lontara (ᨒᨚᨈᨑ) script
Indonesia is amazingly diverse. Hundreds of languages and cultures span the archipelago from Sumatra to the western half of New Guinea, encompassing more than 17 thousand islands. While Bahasa Indonesia is the most widely spoken language, by 80% of the entire country's population, many other Austronesian languages are spoken too, and more than 270 languages … Continue reading The language with four-cornered letters — Bugis (ᨅᨔ ᨕᨘᨁᨗ) and the Lontara (ᨒᨚᨈᨑ) script
The Language Closet 