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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > Indonesia (Sulawesi) > Makasar

Makasar

A language of Indonesia (Sulawesi)

ISO 639-3mak

Population  1,600,000 (1989).
Region  South Sulawesi, southwest corner of the peninsula, most of Pangkep, Maros, Gowa, Bantaeng, Jeneponto, and Takalar districts.
Language map  Indonesia, Sulawesi, reference number 55
Alternate names   Goa, Macassar, Macassarese, Makassa, Makassaarsche, Makassar, Makassarese, Mangasara, Mengkasara, Taena, Tena
Dialects  Gowa (Goa, Lakiung), Turatea (Jeneponto), Maros-Pangkep. Gowa dialect is prestigious. Dialects form a chain.
Classification  Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, South Sulawesi, Makassar
Language use  Trade language. Vigorous. Many ethnic Chinese speak Makassar dialect as L1 400,000 as L2.
Language development  Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1900–1999.
Writing system  Buginese script. Latin script.
Comments  Fishermen; agriculturalists: wet rice, corn, cassava, vegetables; salt harvest. Muslim, Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

FRIBERG, Barbara, author. 1991. "Ergativity, focus and verb morphology in several South Sulawesi languages."