Land language
 | This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. (June 2024) |
Land language (Ambonese Malay: bahasa tana; Indonesian: bahasa tanah) is the name for a group of native languages in Maluku Islands which currently is usually only used as a means of communication in the context of customs. On Seram Island and its surroundings, the language of the land is usually used during traditional ceremonies called panas pela.[1]
By the Maluku peoples, the language of the land is considered to have a higher and more sacred position than the language used every day. Therefore, the Tana language in the Maluku Islands is mostly only known and understood by older speakers. In the Banda Islands, the land language is used in traditional poetry or songs known as kabata.[2]
Etymology[edit]
The choice of the word "land" (Ambonese Malay: tana) in the term land is based on the meaning of land as 'the place of origin of life'. Land is also interpreted as 'the center of life and a place of support'. Apart from that, the term "land" refers to sacred activities, namely traditional events. Land is symbolized as a form of sacredness and authenticity. Therefore, traditional speech in various traditional ceremonies is called the language of the land.[3]
Usage[edit]
To date, there are around 117 land languages spread across Maluku Province. Some of them experienced extinction, most of the land languages that experienced extinction were land languages used by Christian negeri, both those used on Ambon Island, as well as in a small part of Seram Island. The land language of the Maluku Christian community was recorded by Rumphius in 1987, namely in the countries of Hative and Hitu (Islamic negeri). In his report, he said that the land language used in Hative and Hitu is very different with languages on adjacent islands such as Ternate, Makassarese, and Banda. The two languages recorded by Rumphius have now been declared extinct. Meanwhile, in the Maluku Muslims community, apart from still being used generally, Also launched was the book Tana Asilulu - English Dictionary by James T. Collins[dubious ] who has been conducting research for quite a long time about the extinction of several land languages on Ambon Island.[4]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Tuasa, Nurjan; Pattiasina, Petrus Jacob; Lelapary, Heppy Leunard (2020). "FUNGSI BAHASA TANA DALAM UPACARA ADAT PANAS PELA NEGERI RUMAH WEI DAN NEGERI KASIEH KECAMATAN TANIWEL KABUPATEN SERAM BAGIAN BARAT". Mirlam Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia (in Indonesian). 1 (1). Ambon, Indonesia: Pattimura University: 121–132. doi:10.30598/mirlamvol1no1hlm121-132. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ Darman, Faradika (2019). "Kabata dan Bahasa Tana di Kepulauan Banda". Jurnal Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (in Indonesian). Ambon, Indonesia: Staf Teknis Kantor Bahasa Maluku. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ Asrif (2019). "Bahasa Tanah". Jurnal Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (in Indonesian). Ambon, Indonesia: Kantor Bahasa Maluku. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ Soplanit, Julian (2011-03-28). ""BAHASA TANA" bahasa ibu orang Maluku". juliansoplanit.blogspot.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2024-06-03.
Bibliography[edit]
- Taber, Mark (1996). Atlas Bahasa Tanah Maluku (in Indonesian). Ambon, Indonesia: Pusat Pengkajian dan Pengembangan Maluku, Universitas Pattimura. p. 160. ISBN 9798132904.
 | This Indonesia-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |