Batak languages

{{Short description|Subgroup of Austronesian languages spoken in Indonesia}} {{redirect|Batak language|the language of Palawan|Batak language (Philippines)}} __FORCETOC__ {{Infobox language family | name = Batak | altname = Batakic<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wälchli |first=Bernhard |date=2023-04-20 |title=The interplay of contrast markers ('but'), selectives ("topic markers") and word order in the fuzzy oppositive contrast domain |journal=Linguistic Typology |volume=28 |pages=53–99 |language=en |doi=10.1515/lingty-2022-0019 |issn=1613-415X|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Adelaar |first=Alexander K. |title=Endangered languages of Austronesia |date=2010 |publisher=Oxford Univ. Press |isbn=978-0-19-954454-7 |editor-last=Florey |editor-first=Margaret |location=Oxford |pages=24 |chapter=Language documentation in the west Austronesian world and Vanuatu: An overview}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=L. Truong |first=Christina |title=Western Austronesian Applicative Constructions: Continuity and Change in Form and Meaning |date=2025 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-73713-6 |edition=1st |series=Endangered and Lesser-Studied Languages and Dialects Series |location=Boston |pages=313}}</ref> | speakers = {{sigfig|3.318360|2}} million (2010 census) | ref = <ref>{{cite book | publisher = Badan Pusat Statistik | title = Kewarganegaraan, Suku Bangsa, Agama dan Bahasa Sehari-hari Penduduk Indonesia – Hasil Sensus Penduduk 2010 | year = 2011 | isbn = 9789790644175 | url = http://sp2010.bps.go.id/files/ebook/kewarganegaraan%20penduduk%20indonesia/index.html}}</ref> | region = Sumatra, Indonesia | ethnicity = Batak | familycolor = Austronesian | fam2 = Malayo-Polynesian | fam3 = Northwest Sumatra–Barrier Islands | protoname = Proto-Batak | child1 = Northern Batak | child2 = Southern Batak | iso2 = btk | iso5 = btk | glotto = toba1265 | glottorefname = Batakic | map = Batak languages.png | mapcaption = The distribution of Batak languages in northern Sumatra {{maplink |frame-width=300|frame-height=270 |frame-align=center |frame=yes |plain=yes |zoom=7

|type5=point |id5=Q2891042 |title5=Alas-Kluet language |marker-color5=#e41a1c

|type2=point |id2=Q33012 |title2=Batak Karo language |marker-color2=#ff7f00

|type3=point |id3=Q2891045 |title3=Batak Pakpak language |marker-color3=#ffff33

|type4=point |id4=Q2891054 |title4=Batak Simalungun language |marker-color4=#4daf4a

|type=point |id=Q33017 |title=Batak Toba language |marker-color=#377eb8

|type6=point |id6=Q2640686 |title6=Batak Angkola language |marker-color6=#984ea3

|type7=point |id7=Q2891049 |title7=Batak Mandailing language |marker-color7=#a65628 }} Interactive map of Batak languages | glottoname = Batakic }}

The '''Batak languages''' (/ˈbatək/ {{respell|BAT-ək}}) are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages spoken by the Batak people in the Indonesian province of North Sumatra and surrounding areas.

==Internal classification==

The Batak languages can be divided into two main branches, Northern Batak and Southern Batak. Simalungun was long considered an intermediary, but in current classifications it is recognized as part of the Southern branch.<ref>Comparative Austronesian dictionary Vol. 1. by Darrell T. Tryon, Shigeru Tsuchida et al. p421 et seq</ref><ref name=Adelaar>Adelaar, K. A. (1981). "Reconstruction of Proto-Batak Phonology". In Robert A. Blust (ed.), ''Historical Linguistics in Indonesia: Part I'', 1–20. Jakarta: Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya.</ref> Within Northern Batak, a study noted 80% cognate words between Karo and Alas, 81% with Pakpak, 76% with Simalungun & Toba, and 30% with Malay (Indonesian).<ref>The Austronesian languages of Asia and Madagascar. K. Alexander Adelaar, Nikolaus Himmelmann, p. 535</ref> Karo and Toba Batak are mutually unintelligible.

{{clade |label1=Batak languages |1={{clade |label1=Northern |1={{clade |1=Pakpak (Dairi) |2=Karo |3=Alas-Kluet }} |label2=Southern |2={{clade |1=Simalungun |2={{clade |1=Toba |2={{clade |1=Angkola |2=Mandailing }} }} }} }} }}

Mandailing, Toba and Angkola are related to each other and mutually intelligible. Karo dialects are mutually intelligible with other Northern Batak languages named Alas – Kluet languages in the southern part of Aceh, and are also partially mutually intelligible with Pakpak and Singkil. Some Pakpak (Dairi) dialects are also partially mutually intelligible with Toba dialects. Simalungun dialects are sometimes partially mutually intelligible with both Northern and Southern Batak, but they are more comprehensible with other Southern Batak languages (Toba-Angkola-Mandailing). The geographical influences on the Batak languages can be seen in the map in the infobox; Lake Toba separates the Karo (Northern Batak) from direct contact with the Toba (Southern Batak).

== Reconstruction == {{Infobox proto-language | name = Proto-Batak | familycolor = Austronesian | ancestor = Proto-Austronesian | ancestor2 = Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | target = Batak languages }} The Batak languages can be shown to descend from a hypothetical common ancestor, Proto-Batak (which in turn originates from Proto-Austronesian). The sound system of Proto-Batak was reconstructed by Adelaar (1981).<ref name=Adelaar/>

{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:center |- |+Proto-Batak consonants ! colspan=2| ! Labial ! Alveolar ! Palatal ! Velar ! Glottal |- ! rowspan=2| Stop ! <small>voiceless</small> | *p | *t | *c | *k | |- ! <small>voiced</small> | *b | *d | *j | *ɡ | |- ! colspan=2| Fricative | | | *s | | *h |- ! colspan=2| Nasal | *m | *n | | *ŋ | |- ! colspan=2| Semivowel | *w | | *y | | |- ! colspan=2| Lateral | | *l | | | |- ! colspan=2| Trill | | *r | | | |}

{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:center |- |+Proto-Batak Vowels ! ! Front ! Central ! Back |- ! High | *i | | *u |- ! Mid | | *ə | |- ! Low | | *a | |}

Final diphthongs: *-uy, *-ey, *-ow.

The Proto-Batak sounds underwent the following changes in the individual daughter languages:<ref name=Adelaar/>

* Proto-Batak *k became ''h'' in initial and medial position in the Southern Batak languages: :: Proto-Batak {{Lang|poz|*kalak}} > Toba, Simalungun {{Lang|bbc|halak}}; Karo {{Lang|btx|kalak}} 'person' :: Proto-Batak {{Lang|poz|*dukut}} > Toba, Simalungun {{Lang|bbc|duhut}}; Karo {{Lang|btx|dukut}} 'grass'

* Proto-Batak *h was lost in Toba, Angkola and Mandailing: :: Proto-Batak {{Lang|poz|*pərəh}} > Toba {{Lang|bbc|poro}}, Simalungun {{Lang|bts|poroh}}, Karo {{Lang|btx|pereh}} /pərəh/ 'wring out'

* Proto-Batak final voiced stops *b, *d, and *g are retained only in Simalungun. In Toba, Angkola and Mandailing, they are unvoiced, while in the Northern Batak languages, they changed to homorganic nasals (/m/, /n/, /ŋ/): :: Proto-Batak {{Lang|poz|*dələg}} > Simalungun {{Lang|bts|dolog}}, Toba {{Lang|bbc|dolok}}, Karo {{Lang|btx|deleng}} /dələŋ/ 'mountain'.

* The central vowel *ə is retained in the Northern languages, and shifted to /o/ in the Southern languages: ::Proto-Batak {{Lang|poz|*ənəm}} > Karo {{Lang|btx|enem}} (/ənəm/), Toba {{Lang|bbc|onom}} 'six'

* Proto-Batak diphthongs are only retained in Simalungun, but shifted to monophthongs in all other Batak languages: ::Proto-Batak {{Lang|poz|*apuy}} > Simalungun {{Lang|bts|apuy}}; all other languages {{Lang|btk|api}} 'fire' ::Proto-Batak {{Lang|poz|*matey}} > Simalungun {{Lang|bts|matei}}; all other languages {{Lang|btk|mate}} 'dead' ::Proto-Batak {{Lang|poz|*pulow}} > Simalungun {{Lang|bts|pulou}}; all other languages {{Lang|btk|pulo}} 'island'

== Writing system == {{Main|Batak script}} Historically, the Batak languages were written using the Batak script, but the Latin script is now used for most writing.

==See also== *Horas

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == {{InterWiki|code=btm|lang=Mandailing Batak}} {{InterWiki|code=bbc|lang=Toba Batak}} * [https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bbc/ Batak Toba] at ''Ethnologue'' (22nd ed., 2019).

Batak languages Category:Northwest Sumatra–Barrier Islands languages Category:Languages of Indonesia

Batak languages

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