Language Diversity In Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam

To refresh our memories of the regional languages ​​of the province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, here I first describe the profile and brief reviews of the local.  

Aceh language

Among the regional languages ​​found in the province of NAD, the language of Aceh is the largest and most widely spoken language of the region, which is about 70% of the total population of Aceh province (Daud, 1997: 10, Daud and Durie, 1999: 1). Native speakers of Aceh are spread over the East and West coast of NAD province. Native speakers of Aceh language are those who inhabit Aceh Besar District, Banda Aceh City, Pidie District, Aceh Jeumpa Regency, North Aceh Regency, East Aceh Regency, West Aceh Regency and Sabang City. Native speakers of Aceh are also found in several areas within the district of South Aceh, especially in the areas of Kuala Batee, Blang Pidie, Manggeng, Sawang, Hands-on, Meukek, Trumon and Bakongan. Even in the districts of Central Aceh, Southeast Aceh and Simeulue, we find also a small portion of its Aceh-speaking community. Moreover, outside the province of NAD, in the overseas areas, there are also Acehnese groups who still maintain the language of Aceh as their mother tongue. This can be found in Acehnese communities in Medan, Jakarta, Kedah and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Sydney in Australia (Daud, 1997: 30).

 

Gayo. 

This language is believed to be a language closely related to the ancient Malay language, although now there is quite a lot of Gayo language vocabulary that has been mixed with the language of Aceh. Gayo is the mother tongue for the people of Aceh who inhabit Central Aceh district, a small part of Southeast Aceh region, and Lokop region in East Aceh district. For most people outside the Gayo community, this language reminds them of the mellifluous strains of the dance artistic poems. 

 

Alas Language. 

This language sounds more like the language used by the Karo ethnic community in North Sumatra. Communities inhabiting Southeast Aceh Regency, along the foot of Leuser Mountain, and people around the Singkil river upstream in Singkil regency, are native speakers of Alas language. The residents of Southeast Aceh Regency who use this language are those who are domiciled in five districts, namely Lawe Sigala-gala, Lawe Alas, Bambel, Babussalam, and Bandar (Abdullah, et al. 1987: 2). 

 

Tamiang language. 

The Tamiang language (in the language of Aceh is called the Teumieng language) is a variant or dialect of the Malay language used by the people of Aceh Tamiang District (formerly East Aceh district), except in Manyak Payed sub-district and the City of Kuala Simpang Mixture, ie Indonesian, Acehnese and Tamiang). Until now the taste of Malay still feels very thick in the Tamiang language.

 

Aneuk Jamee Language. 

This language is often also referred to (mainly by Acehnese speakers) with Jamee or Baiko. In Kabupaten Aceh Selatan, this language is the mother tongue for residents who inhabit the areas of Susoh, Labuhan Haji, Samadua, Tapaktuan, and Kluet Selatan. Outside of Aceh Selatan, according to Wildan (2002: 2), this language is also used by small groups of people in Singkil and Aceh Barat districts, particularly in Kaway 16 Sub-district (Peunaga Rayek Village, Rantau Panyang, Meureubo, Pasi Meugat, and Ranto Kleng), as well as in Johan Pahlawan sub-district (especially in Padang Seurahet village). Language Aneuk Jamee is a language born from the assimilation of a group of Minang people who come to the west coast of Aceh with the local language of the local community, namely the language of Aceh. The name Aneuk Jamee (which literally means 'guest child', thus 'immigrant nation') attributed to this language is a reflection of the meaning of the migrant community itself. This language can be referred to as a variant of the Minang language.

 

Kluet language.

Kluet is the mother tongue for the people who live in North Kluet and South Kluet sub-districts in South Aceh district. Information about the Kluet language, especially academic studies, is still very limited. The people of Aceh in general, with the exception of Kluet speakers themselves, Not much to know about the ins and outs of this language. Perhaps the Kluet-speaking community can take the spirit of the PKA-4 to start writing something in Kluet's local language, so that one day people can easily get books in Kluet in the form of language textbooks, short stories, and Even poetry. 

 

Singkil language.

 Like the Kluet language, information about the Singkil language, especially in the form of publishing, is still very limited. This language is the mother tongue for some people in Singkil regency. I say partly, because we find there are some other people in Singkil who use the Acehnese language, Aneuk Jamee language, some use Minang language, And some also use Dairi (or Pakpak language) especially among traders and business people in Subulussalam region. Besides the Singkil people who inhabit Many Islands, they use the

 

Haloban language.

So there are at least six regional languages ​​that are used as the language of daily communications among fellow members of the Singkil community in addition to the Indonesian language. From a linguistics perspective, the Singkil community is the only group of people in the most pluralistic province of NAD in terms of language use. Language Haloban. As mentioned earlier, the Haloban language is one of the regional languages ​​of Aceh used by people in Singkil Regency, especially those who inhabit Many Islands, Particularly on Tuanku Island (Wildan, 2002: 2). This language sounds very similar to the Devayan language used by people on the island of Simeulue. The number of Haloban speakers is very small and if efforts to progress, development and preservation do not begin immediately, it is feared that one day the language will remain in the memories of local language researchers. 

 

Simeulue language. 

The language of Simeulue is one of the regional languages ​​of Aceh which is the mother tongue for the people of Simeulue Island with a total number of speakers of about 60,000 people. In the study of the Morphology of Simonulue Language Nomina, Fun & Daud, et al (2000: 1) found that the similarity of names of islands and languages ​​has led to misunderstanding for most Acehnese people outside of Simeulue island: they assume that on Simeulue island there is only one regional language, the Simeulue language. Whereas in Simeulue District we encounter three regional languages, namely the language of Simeulue, Sigulai language (or also called Lamamek language), and Devayan language. There is a difference of opinion among the language researchers about the number of languages ​​on the island of Simeulue. Wildfire (2000: 2) for example, says that on the island of Simeulue there is only one language, the language of Simeulue. However, this language has two dialects, namely the Devayan dialect used in the District of Simeulue Timur, Central Simeulue and in Tepah Selatan District, As well as Sigulai dialect used by communities in the area of ​​West Simeulue and Salang sub-districts. Of the few members of the Simeulue Island community we contacted, we obtained information that the three languages ​​on the island are distinct and separate languages. 

 

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