Languages of Indonesia (Sumatra)

[ace] 3,500,000 (2000 census). Aceh Province (north tip of Sumatra), coastal areas. Alternate names: Achinese, Achehnese.  Dialects: Banda Aceh, Baruh, Bueng, Daja, Pase, Pidie (Pedir, Timu), Tunong.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Chamic, Achenese 
More information.

[mfb] 340,000 (2000 census). Sumatra, Bangka Island. Dialects: Urban (Jakarta), North, Central, South, Lom (Belom, Mapor).  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[btz] 195,000 (2000). Northern, northeast of Tapaktuan and around Kutacane. Alternate names: Alas-Kluet Batak.  Dialects: Alas, Kluet, Singkil (Kade-Kade).  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands, Batak, Northern 
More information.

[akb] 750,000 (1991 UBS). North central, Sipirok area. Alternate names: Anakola, Angkola.  Dialects: Similar to Mandailing Batak [btm], but distinct sociolinguistically.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands, Batak, Southern 
More information.

[btd] 1,200,000 (1991 UBS). Northern, southwest of Lake Toba around Sidikalang. Alternate names: Dairi, Pakpak, Pakpak Dairi.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands, Batak, Northern 
More information.

[btx] 600,000 (1991 UBS). Central and north, west and northwest of Lake Toba. Alternate names: Karo Batak.  Dialects: Singkil.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands, Batak, Northern 
More information.

[btm] 1,100,000 (2000 census). North. Alternate names: Batta, Mandailing Batak.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands, Batak, Southern 
More information.

[bts] 1,200,000 (2000). North, northeast of Lake Toba. Alternate names: Simelungan, Timur.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands, Batak, Simalungan 
More information.

[bbc] 2,000,000 (1991 UBS). North Sumatra, Samosir Island and east, south, and west of Toba Lake. Alternate names: Batta, Toba Batak.  Dialects: Similar to Angkola Batak [akb].  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands, Batak, Southern 
More information.

[liw] 145,000 (2000 census). Interior south Sumatra, Lubuklinggau area and east of Bengkulu; Muaraklingi area, south, east, and north. Alternate names: Cul, Sindang.  Dialects: Lembak Delapan, Sindang Kelingi, Beliti; Lubuk Linggau.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[dup] 15,000 in Indonesia (2006 SIL). Total ethnic population all countries: 19,000 (Seidlitz). Population total all countries: 15,500. West Riau archipelago and east coast of Riau, Daratan Province. Also in Malaysia (Peninsular). Alternate names: Duano’, Orang Kuala, Desin Dolak, Desin Duano, Orang Laut.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[eno] 1,500 (2000 census), decreasing. Enggano Island, southwest of Sumatra and on 4 smaller nearby islands. Alternate names: Engganese.  Dialects: Not closely related to other languages. Not conclusively established as an Austronesian language, rather than an isolate with Austronesian loans.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Enggano 
More information.

[gay] 300,000 (2000 census). North Sumatra mountain region, Aceh Province, Central Aceh, East Aceh, Gayo Lues, Southeast Aceh regencies. Alternate names: Gajo.  Dialects: Deret, Serbejadi-Lukup, Lut, Lues. Not closely related to other languages.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands 
More information.

[hji] 17,500. Very few monolinguals. Sumatra, Ogan Komering Ulu Selatan Regency. Alternate names: Aji.  Dialects: Genetically Malay with approximately 1/3 Lampung vocabulary.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[vkk] 40,000 (2000). Southwest Sumatra, South Bengkulu, Southern and Northern Kaur areas, Bengkulu, south and west of Besemah [pse], north of Nasal [nsy] and Lampung Api [ljp] areas. Alternate names: Ka’ur, Bintuhan, Mulak.  Dialects: Borrowings from Lampung Api; reportedly difficult to understand for Central Malay [pse] speakers. Lexical similarity: 72% with Central Malay.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[kvr] 260,000 in Indonesia (2000 census). Population total all countries: 285,000. Jambi Province, western mountains, Sungaipenuh area, and north and west. Also in Bahrain. Alternate names: Kerinchi, Kinchai.  Dialects: Ulu, Mamaq, Akit, Talang, Sakei. High dialect diversity in a small area, shading into Jambi Malay [zlm] east and Minangkabau [min] north. Distinct from Kerinci-Minangkabau dialect of Minangkabau.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[kge] 470,000 (2000 census). 20,000 in Jakarta (1992). Along Komering River from Lake Ranau to near Palembang. Alternate names: Kumoring.  Dialects: Upstream Komering, Downstream Komering, Komering, Kayu Agung Asli, Kayu Agung. Lexical similarity: 70% with the Kalianda dialect of Lampung Api [ljp]; 74% with Sungkai dialect of Lampung Api (most similar).  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Lampung 
More information.

[kvb] 10,000 (1989). Spread across Jambi, Riau and south Sumatra, eastern swamp region. Alternate names: Anak Dalam, Orang Rimba, Orang Hutan.  Dialects: Lalang, Bajat, Ulu Lako, Tungkal, Tungkal Ilir, Dawas, Supat, Jambi, Ridan, Nomadic Kubu. Related to Lubu [lcf].  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[ljp] 827,000 (2000 census). West, central, and south Lampung Province; south Benkulu Province around Krui, Sanggi, Kotajawa, South Sumatra, south of Muaradua, near headwaters of Kanan River. Alternate names: Api, Lampung, Lampung Pesisir, Lampong.  Dialects: Krui (Kroe, Kru’i, Njo, Western Lampung), Southern Pesisir, Pubian, Ranau, Sungkai, Daya.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Lampung 
More information.

[abl] 180,000 (2000 census). South and east Lampung Province. Alternate names: Abung, Lampong.  Dialects: Abung, Tulangbawang, Sukadana, Melinting. Many differences in vocabulary and phonology with Lampung Api [ljp]. Lexical similarity: 72% between the Menggala dialect and the Kalianda dialect of Lampung Api, 77% among dialects.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Lampung 
More information.

[lce] 420 (2000). East coast on both sides of the mouths of the Kampat and Inderagiri rivers, nearby islands, and coasts of Bangka and Belitung islands. Alternate names: Lonchong, Orang Laut, Seka, Sekah.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[lcf] 30,000 (Wurm and Hattori 1981). East Sumatra, central region. Dialects: Related to Kubu [kvb].  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[zlm] 905,000 in Indonesia (2000 census). 3,965,000 in Sumatra (100,000 in Belitung, 1,825,000 in Riau, 2,000,000 Deli, Asahan etc. in North Sumatra and 40,000 Tamiang in Aceh), and 940,000 in Kalimantan (primarily Pontianak, Sambas and Ketapang). Primarily coastal regions of central and north Sumatra and western Kalimantan. Alternate names: Malayu, Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Daerah.  Dialects: Tamiang, Riau mainland, Deli, Belitung, Akit, Sakai, Riau islands, coastal Jambi, Sambas, Landak, Pontianak, Sukadana, Ketapang, Sanggau, Sintang, Sekadau, Kapuas Hulu, Sintang.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[pse] 2,350,000 (2007). South Sumatra, central Bukit Barisan highlands west to the Indian ocean along Bengkulu coast, east down Lematang and Ogan river valleys; south of Muaraenim, east and southeast of Lahat. Alternate names: Midden Maleisch, Besemah, Pasemah, Serawai, Semendo, Lintang, Ogan, Enim, Bengkulu.  Dialects: Serawai, Bengkulu, Semenda, Lintang, Benakat, Bengkulu, Kisam, Pasemah, Kikim, Lematang Ulu, Ogan, Enim, Rambang.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[jax] 1,000,000 (2000 census). Southeast Sumatra, Jambi Province. Alternate names: Djambi, Batin.  Dialects: Downstream Jambi Malay, Upstream Jambi Malay.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[mwv] 58,000 (2000 census). West coast of Sumatra area, Mentawai Islands. Alternate names: Mentawei, Mentawi.  Dialects: Simalegi, Sakalagan, Silabu, Taikaku, Saumanganja, North Siberut, South Siberut, Sipura, Pagai.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands 
More information.

[min] 5,530,000 (2007). 500,000 in Jakarta. Widespread in the Indonesian Archipelago; west central Sumatra, Padang area. Nearly half live outside central Sumatra; South Sumatra, west coast Mukomuko area. Alternate names: Minang, Padang.  Dialects: Agam, Pajokumbuh, Tanah, Si Junjung, Batu Sangkar-Pariangan, Singkarak, Pancuang Soal (Muko-Muko), Orang Mamak, Ulu, Kerinci-Minangkabau, Aneuk Jamee (Jamee), Penghulu. Not intelligible with Indonesian [ind]. Pekal [pel] may be intelligible with Minangkabau.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[mui] 3,930,000 (2000 census). South Sumatra Province, Musi River upstream to Bukit Barisan mountains, downstream to eastern coastal swamplands. Alternate names: Sekayu, Palembang.  Dialects: Pegagan, Musi Sekayu, Penukal, Kelingi, Rawas; Palembang, Palembang Lama, Meranjat, Penesak, Belide, Burai, Lematang Ilir, Coastal Malay.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[nia] 770,000 (2000 census). Off west coast of Sumatra, Nias and Batu islands. Alternate names: Batu.  Dialects: Northern Nias, Southern Nias, Batu.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands, Nias 
More information.

[pel] 30,000 (2000 census). South Sumatra, Bengkulu Province, west coast, north of Ipuh to Tembesi River, to near Argamakmur south. Dialects: Related to Minangkabau [min] with Rejang influences [rej].  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Sumbawan, North and East, Malayic, Malay 
More information.

[rej] 350,000 (2000 census). North Bengkulu Province, southwest highlands, Arga Makmur, Muara Aman, Curup, Kapahiang areas; South Sumatra Province, Musi Rawa Ulu. Alternate names: Red Jang.  Dialects: Lebong, Kepahiang (Kebanagung), Pasisir, Musi (Curup), Rawas. Lebong recognized as central dialect.  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Rejang 
More information.

[skh] 20,000. Central Simeulue Island. Alternate names: Sichule, Sikhule, Wali Banuah.  Dialects: Lekon, Tapah. Similar to Nias [nia].  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands, Nias 
More information.

[smr] 30,000. West and east ends of Simeulue Island, Babi and Banjak islands. Alternate names: Long Bano, Simalur, Simeuloë, Simulul.  Dialects: Related to Sikule [skh], Nias [nia].  Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands 
More information.