What language do they speak in West Papua? Indonesia has a lot of cultures and languages, including the ones in West Papua. Not only is there incredible nature, but West Papua also has endless, unique culture. When it comes to the language, the province has its own dialect that sounds very unique. Also, do you know that West Papua has hundreds of languages? In this article, we will let you know about the West Papuan Language.
How Many West Papuan Languages Are There?
Papua has 270 local languages in total. The names of these languages are formed from Papua’s long history, including during colonialism, as well as interactions with surrounding tribes, zending bodies, and other non-scientific activities. As a result, the names of West Papuan languages confuse the researchers. The province has 270 local languages, including Bahasa Airoran, Bahasa Fayu, Bahasa Madik, Bahasa Senggi, Bahasa Semimi, Bahasa Amber, and many others.
But what language do they speak in West Papua? The daily language used in West Papua is Bahasa Melayu Papua. It still sounds a little bit like Bahasa Indonesia. What makes Bahasa Melayu Papua language interesting is the combination of two or more words into one, aka abbreviated. For example, sapu means saya punya (I have). Or kopi mana means kau pergi ke mana (where are you going). Some other words that Papuans often speak are ‘itu sudah’.
When they finish talking or explaining something, Papuans always add the word ‘itu sudah’ at the end of their sentences. For greeting, West Papuans usually use the word bapak (father) for older men and mama (mother) for older women. For men and women of the same age, they use the word kakak (brother/sister) and adik (younger brother/sister) for younger people.
Learning Papuan Dialect
Actually, there is no significant change in the grammar of the Papuan language. As it is said before, it is very similar to Bahasa Indonesia. However, you may find it difficult at first time. Especially, if you do not know the key to speak the West Papuan language. You need to understand some specific criteria. Most of the words spoken by the Papuan are abbreviated. It is common so that they can shorten long words. For instance, the word Sa is an abbreviation for Saya (I).
If you are interested to learn the Papuan dialect, it will be better if you remember these following things:
- The possessive pronoun is separate from the subject, usually spoken before the possessive pronoun.
- The word ‘sudah’ usually replaces the word ‘lah’, usually used for command sentences.
- The words ‘to’ and ‘toh’ are usually used at the end of a sentence to emphasize a statement.
- The word ‘kah’ is used to complete a sentence, it is located at the end of a sentence.
- The word baru’ is usually used to emphasize a sentence.
Learn the Papuan Language, Learn the Culture
Actually, whatever language you are interested in learning, it will be easier and quicker to learn if you also learn the culture. Languages and culture are like a unit that cannot be separated. Moreover, there are some expressions or sentences that you might find it hard to understand if you do not know the culture of the language you are learning. Learning the West Papuan language will help you to easily blend in with the locals. If you are planning to spend quite a long period of time in West Papua, learning their language will be very helpful. This will prevent you from saying inappropriate words, sentences, or expressions in their culture. So, are you still curious about what language do they speak in West Papua?
