Languages of East Timor
See language
map.
Democratic Republic of East Timor, Timor Timus,
Timor L'este, Timor Lorosae. 1,019,252. National or official languages:
Tetun, Portuguese. Literacy rate: below 30%. Information mainly from C.
Grimes, T. Therik, B. D. Grimes, and M. Jacob 1997. The number of
languages listed for East Timor is 20. Of those, 19 are living languages
and 1 is extinct.
Living languages
Adabe |
[adb] 1,000 (1981 Wurm and Hattori).
Ethnic population: 1,000. Atauro Island, north of Dili on
Timor Island. Alternate names: Ataura, Atauru, Atauro,
Raklu-Un, Raklu Un. Dialects: Munaseli Pandai.
Reported to be different from Galoli dialects on Atauro. No
relationship to Kolana. Classification: Trans-New
Guinea, South Bird's Head-Timor-Alor-Pantar, Timor-Alor-Pantar
More
information.
|
Baikeno |
[bkx] 20,000 (2003 UKAW). Many are
monolingual. Population includes several thousand refugees in west
Timor. Ethnic population: 20,000. Oekusi enclave separated
from the rest of East Timor. Traditional kingship of Ambeno on
north coast of west Timor. The Kais Metan dialect is spoken in the
Pantai Makasar and Oesilu districts. Tai Boko is spoken in the
Nitib District. The two dialects together take up most of the
northern part of Ambeno. Uis Tasae is spoken in the Pasab District,
taking up the southern third. Kais Metan has two subdialects: Kais
Metan in the north, and Bob Meto in the south. Alternate names:
Baikenu, Vaikenu, Vaikino, Biqueno, Ambeno, Ambenu, Uab Meto, Uab
Pah Meto, Oecussi, Oe Cusi, Oekusi. Dialects: Kais
Metan (East Baikeno, Bob Meto), Tai Boko (West Baikeno), Uis Tasae
(South Baikeno). Baikeno is linguistically a dialect of Uab Meto,
but for political reasons has to be treated as a separate language
for vernacular literature. It is intelligible with the Uab Meto
dialects of Amfo'an, northern Mollo, and Insana. Significant
differences with Amarasi block intelligibility. They see
themselves as part of the wider Atoni cultural, linguistic,
political, and historical network, in contrast to being Tetun,
Helong, or Rote. They refer to themselves as 'atoni' (person),
speaking 'uab meto' (the language of the dry). The Kais Metan
dialect is the most populous and most influential, being around
the town of Oekusi, the seat of the former king, and the
commercial and government center. Classification:
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Central
Malayo-Polynesian, Timor, Nuclear Timor, West
More
information.
|
Bunak |
[bfn] 50,000 in East Timor (1977 Voegelin
and Voegelin). Population total all countries: 100,000. Ethnic
population: 50,000. Central interior Timor Island, south
coast. Also spoken in Indonesia (Nusa Tenggara). Alternate
names: Buna', Bunake, Bunaq. Dialects: Not
closely related to other languages. Classification:
Trans-New Guinea, South Bird's Head-Timor-Alor-Pantar,
Timor-Alor-Pantar, Bunak
More
information.
|
Fataluku |
[ddg] 30,000 (1989). Ethnic population:
30,000. Eastern tip of Timor Island around Los Palos. Alternate
names: Dagaga, Dagoda', Dagada. Dialects: May be
related to Oirata on nearby Kisar Island. Significant dialect
variation. May turn out to be several languages. Classification:
Trans-New Guinea, South Bird's Head-Timor-Alor-Pantar,
Timor-Alor-Pantar, Fataluku
More
information.
|
Galoli |
[gal] 50,000 (1981 Wurm and Hattori).
Ethnic population: 50,000. North coast between Mambae and
Makasae, regions of Laklo, Manatutu, Laleia, and We-Masin, Wetar
Island. Alternate names: Galole. Dialects: Na
Nahek, Edi, Dadua, Galoli, Baba, Hahak. Talur on Wetar Island in
Maluku may be inherently intelligible. Classification:
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Central
Malayo-Polynesian, Timor, Nuclear Timor, East
More
information.
|
Habu |
[hbu] 1,260 (2000 WCD). Northeast of
Laclubar and the Idate language. Dialects: Many loanwords
from Trans-New Guinea languages similar to Makasae, but with
Austronesian structure. Related to Waima'a and Kairui.
Classification needs further investigation. Classification:
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Central
Malayo-Polynesian, Timor, Nuclear Timor, Waima'a
More
information.
|
Idaté |
[idt] 5,000 (1981 Wurm and Hattori).
Ethnic population: 5,000. Central East Timor, mountains of
part of the Laclubar area, surrounded by the Mambae, Galoli,
Kairui, and Tetun. Dialects: Closest to Lakalei and Galoli.
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian,
Central-Eastern, Central Malayo-Polynesian, Timor, Nuclear Timor,
East
More
information.
|
Kairui-Midiki |
[krd] 2,000 (2001). Ethnic population:
2,000. Central small mountainous area surrounded by Makasai,
Waima'a, Tetun, Galoli. Alternate names: Cairui, Midiki.
Dialects: Kairui, Midiki (Midik). Vocabulary is
predominantly Trans-New Guinea, structure is Austronesian. Related
to Waima'a and Habu. Classification needs further investigation.
May be a co-dialect with Waima'a. Classification:
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Central
Malayo-Polynesian, Timor, Nuclear Timor, Waima'a
More
information.
|
Kemak |
[kem] 50,000 in East Timor (1981 Wurm and
Hattori). Population total all countries: 100,000. Ethnic
population: 50,000. North central Timor Island, border area
between East Timor and West Timor, mostly on eastern side. Also
spoken in Indonesia (Nusa Tenggara). Alternate names: Ema.
Dialects: Nogo (Nogo-Nogo), Kemak. Close to Tetun. Most
closely related to Mambae and Tukudede. Also related to Uab Meto.
Morris 1992 counts Nogo as a separate language from Kemak. Classification:
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Central
Malayo-Polynesian, Timor, Nuclear Timor, East
More
information.
|
Lakalei |
[lka] 5,000 (1981 Wurm and Hattori).
Ethnic population: 5,000. Central Timor Island, north of
Same, northeast of Ainaro. Dialects: Close to Idate, Tetun,
Galoli. Classification: Austronesian,
Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Central Malayo-Polynesian,
Timor, Nuclear Timor, East
More
information.
|
Makasae |
[mkz] 70,000 (1989). Ethnic population:
70,000. Timor Island, eastern end around Baucau and inland,
west of Fataluku, from northern to southern coast in a dialect
chain. Alternate names: Makassai, Macassai, Ma'asae,
Makasai. Dialects: Maklere, Makasai. Not closely
related to other languages. Non-Austronesian. Classification:
Trans-New Guinea, South Bird's Head-Timor-Alor-Pantar,
Timor-Alor-Pantar, Makasai-Alor-Pantar, Makasai
More
information.
|
Maku'a |
[lva] 50 (1981 Wurm and Hattori). Ethnic
population: 50. Northeast tip of Timor Island, around Tutuala.
Alternate names: Lovaea, Lovaia. Classification:
Trans-New Guinea, South Bird's Head-Timor-Alor-Pantar,
Timor-Alor-Pantar, Maku'a
More
information.
|
Mambae |
[mgm] 80,000 in East Timor (1981 Wurm and
Hattori). Ethnic population: 80,000. Mountains of central
Timor, around Ermera, Aileu, and Ainaro. One of the dominant
groups among Timorese communities in Australia. Also spoken in
Australia. Alternate names: Mambai, Manbae. Dialects:
Damata, Lolei, Manua, Mambai. Classification:
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Central
Malayo-Polynesian, Timor, Nuclear Timor, East
More
information.
|
Nauete |
[nxa] 1,000 (1981 Wurm and Hattori).
Ethnic population: 1,000. South coast, eastern tip of Timor
Island, west of Tiomar. The main town is Uato Lari. Alternate
names: Nauhete, Naueti, Naóti, Nauote, Nauoti. Dialects:
Naumik, Oso Moko. Not closely related to any other language. Many
loanwords from Trans-New Guinea languages like Makasae. Classification:
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Central
Malayo-Polynesian, Timor, Nuclear Timor
More
information.
|
Portuguese |
[por] Alternate names:
Português. Classification: Indo-European, Italic,
Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance,
West Iberian, Portuguese-Galician
More
information.
|
Tetun |
[tet] 50,000 in East Timor (2004). Western
East Timor on the south coast from Suai to Viqueque. East of Atoni,
west of Bunak (in Batagude) around Batibo, and in from the south
coast around Viqueque and Soibada. Alternate names: Tetum,
Tettum, Teto, Tetu, Tetung, Belu, Belo, Fehan, Tetun Belu. Dialects:
Eastern Tetun (Soibada, Natarbora, Lakluta, Tetun Loos, Tetun
Los), Southern Tetun (Lia Fehan, Plain Tetun, Tasi Mane, Belu
Selatan, South Belu, South Tetun), Northern Tetun (Lia Foho, Hill
Tetun, Tasi Feto, Belu Utara, North Belu, Tetun Terik, Tetun
Therik). Classification: Austronesian,
Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Central Malayo-Polynesian,
Timor, Nuclear Timor, East
More
information.
|
Tetun Dili |
[tdt] 50,000 (1995). First-language
speakers concentrated in and around Dili on the north coast of
East Timor. Second-language speakers scattered widely throughout
the western part of East Timor. Alternate names: Tetun,
Tetum, Tetum Prasa, Tetum Praça, Dili Tetum, Tetum Dili. Dialects:
There are important differences with Tetun in parts of the grammar,
morphology, functors, and much of the lexicon. There is heavy
influence of Portuguese and some Indonesian or Malay loans in
Tetun Dili. Classification: Creole, Tetun based
More
information.
|
Tukudede |
[tkd] 63,170 (2000 WCD). Timor
Island, north coast, regions of Maubara and Liquisa from the banks
of the Lois River to Dili. Alternate names: Tukude,
Tokodede, Tokodé, Tocod. Dialects: Keha (Keia),
Tukudede. Classification: Austronesian,
Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Central Malayo-Polynesian,
Timor, Nuclear Timor, East
More
information.
|
Waima'a |
[wmh] 3,000 (2001). Ethnic population:
3,000 or more. Northeast coast Timor Island, enclave within
Makasae-speaking area. Alternate names: Uai Ma'a, Waimaha,
Waimoa, Uaimo'a. Dialects: Many Trans-New Guinea
loanwords similar to Makasae. Related to Habu and Kairui.
Classification needs further investigation. May be a co-dialect
with Kairui-Midiki. Classification: Austronesian,
Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Central Malayo-Polynesian,
Timor, Nuclear Timor, Waima'a
More
information.
|
Extinct languages
Pidgin, Timor |
[tvy] Extinct. Timor Island, around
Bidau, Dili, and Lifan. Alternate names: Timor Creole
Portuguese. Dialects: Português de Bidau, Macaísta.
Classification: Creole, Portuguese based
More
information.
|
|