Ramelaic languages
| Ramelaic languages | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Spoken in |
East Timor | |
| speaker | 251,667 (East Timor only, 2010) | |
| Linguistic classification |
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|
| Official status | ||
| Official language in |
 East Timor ( national languages )
|
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The Ramelan languages include several Austronesian languages spoken in East Timor and the Indonesian West Timor . They are named after the Ramelau Mountains , which are located in the center of the language area of the language family.
Classification and properties
Together with the Fabronian languages (also called Extra-Ramelaisch ), the Ramelan languages form the language family of the Timor languages . They are part of the Timor-Flores branch and, as central Malayo-Polynesian languages, belong to the Malayo-Polynesian languages . The Ramelan languages include Kemak , Mambai and Tokodede . The three languages Lakalei , Idaté and Isní are summarized as Idalaka . Isní also has the sub-dialect Lolein .
The Ramelan languages are more strongly influenced than the Fabronian by Papuan languages , especially the neighboring Bunak . There is also a strong influence of Ambonesian Malay , a Creole language that traders brought to Timor in the 15th century . Presumably, the influence spread from the region around today's Dili . Tokodede was completely creolized by this Malay , Mambai almost completely. Kemak and Idalaka were less under the influence. Ethnologue divides the language family into Central with Mambai, East with Idalaka and West with Kemak and Tokodede.
Ethnologue also assigns Galoli to the eastern, Ramelan languages. But it is by Geoffrey Hull counted, a leading expert of Timor languages to the fabronischen languages.
Individual languages and number of speakers
The information relates to the census in East Timor. Numbers for West Timor are not available.
- Kemak : 61,969. Especially in the East Timorese community of Bobonaro . Also in the neighboring communities and in the bordering West Timor.
- Mambai : 131,361. In the highlands of East Timor in the municipalities of Ainaro , Aileu , Ermera , Liquiçá and neighboring municipalities.
- Tokodede : 39,483. In the East Timorese municipality of Liquiçá.
- Idalaka : 18.854
Individual evidence
- ↑ Statistical Office of East Timor, results of the 2010 census of the individual sucos ( Memento of January 23, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ a b c The Languages of East Timor: Some Basic Facts ( Memento from January 19, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ a b Ethnologue: Ramelaic ( Memento from December 24, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Direcção Nacional de Estatística: Population Distribution by Administrative Areas Volume 2 English ( Memento of the original from January 5, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Census 2010; PDF; 22.6 MB)
