10 Languages Used By Dayak Tribes In The Land Of Kalimantan

Dancers who wear traditional Dayak clothing. (Pinterest/@drinartono)

YOGYAKARTA - Indonesia has a variety of ethnicities and languages. One of the big tribes that inhabit the Kalimantan region is the Dayak tribe, the native tribe that has extraordinary cultural wealth and language. They are spread across five provinces on the island of Kalimantan, namely West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and North Kalimantan.

In prehistoric times, the Dayak tribe was known as the speakers of Austronesia, a large language clump originating from Taiwan and spread to the archipelago. Along with the development of the times and interactions between tribes, Dayak's language develops into many different variations and dialects in each region. This makes Dayak's language one of the interesting linguistic wealth to explore.

In general, the Dayak tribe is divided into six large clumps, namely Klemantan, Iban, Apokayan, Surut, Ot Danum-Ngaju, and Punan. Each clump has different cultural and language characteristics. Punan's formula is believed to be the oldest clump that has lived in the Kalimantan region since thousands of years ago.

In their daily lives, Dayak people use Dayak which is included in the Austronesian language clump. This language has a variety of structures and vocabulary, depending on the region and the sub-sumptions that use it. Some languages even have similarities with the language used in Sarawak, Malaysia, due to geographical closeness and inter-regional historical relationships.

Suku Dayak memiliki banyak dialek dan bahasa lokal yang digunakan oleh berbagai sub-suku di Kalimantan. Berikut 10 di antaranya yang paling dikenal dan masih digunakan hingga kini.

This language is one of the most common dialects and is widely used by Dayak in Central Kalimantan. The language of Ngaju also has a major influence on the development of Dayak literature and culture in the region.

Bidayuh is used by Dayak Bidayuh in West Kalimantan and Sarawak. This language has several variations of dialects depending on the area of use.

The Kenyan language is used by the Dayak Kenyah community in East Kalimantan and parts of the Sarawak area. This language is known to be smooth and widely used in traditional conversations.

The language of Iban is widely used by the Dayak Iban tribe which is spread across West Kalimantan and Sarawak, Malaysia. This language is also used in various traditional ceremonies and traditional songs of Dayak Iban.

This language is used by the Punan Dayak tribe, which is known as one of the oldest groups in East Kalimantan. Even though the number of speakers has decreased, the Punan language is still preserved in the inland community.

Kayan is a language used by the Kayan Dayak tribe which also lives in East Kalimantan. This language has a structure similar to Kenyah, but it is different in pronunciation and vocabulary.

The Bakumpai language is used by the Bakumpai Dayak tribe which lives in South Kalimantan. This language is also widely influenced by the Banjar language due to intense social interactions.

The Ot Danum language is used by the Dayak Ot Danum community in Central Kalimantan. This language has unique characteristics and is part of the Ot Danum-Ngaju clump.

The Ma'anyan language also comes from Central Kalimantan and is used by the Dayak Ma'anyan tribe. This language has similarities with several languages in the eastern part of the Austronesia family.

The Modang language is used by the Dayak Modang tribe in West Kalimantan. Although the number of speakers is not as much as in other languages, Modang remains an important identity for his community.

Dayak is one of the greatest cultural assets in Indonesia. Each language and dialect reflects a long history as well as a close relationship between humans and the natural worlds of Kalimantan. Unfortunately, some Dayak languages are starting to face extinction due to modernization and reduced use of regional languages among the younger generation.

Efforts to preserve Dayak language continue to be carried out through education, research, and cultural festivals. Local governments together with traditional institutions play an important role in keeping these languages alive in the midst of the current of globalization. By maintaining the language, Dayak people also maintain their identity and identity as part of the wealth of the Indonesian nation.