Dusun language
Language of Dusun people of Malaysia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Central Dusun, also known as Bunduliwan (Boros Dusun), is an Austronesian language and one of the more widespread languages spoken by the Dusun (including Kadazan) peoples of Sabah, Malaysia.
Ethnic population: 714,000 (2024)[1]
| Central Dusun | |
|---|---|
| Bunduliwan | |
| Boros Dusun | |
| Native to | Malaysia, Brunei |
| Region | Sabah and Federal Territory of Labuan |
| Ethnicity | Dusun people, Kadazan people Ethnic population: 714,000 (2024)[1] |
Native speakers | 260,000 Central Dusun (2010)[2] |
Austronesian
| |
Standard forms |
|
| Official status | |
Recognised minority language in | Malaysia (as Kadazandusun) |
| Regulated by | Multiple:[3]
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | dtp |
| Glottolog | cent2100 |
History
What is termed as Central Dusun (or simply Dusun) and Coastal Kadazan (or simply Kadazan) are deemed to be highly mutually intelligible to one other; many consider these to be part of a single language.
The language was among many other Sabahan vernacular languages suppressed under Mustapha Harun's assimilationist enforcement of Bahasa Malaysia across the state.[4] Under the efforts of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association Sabah, in 1995, the central Bundu-Liwan dialect was selected to serve as the basis for a standardised "Kadazandusun" language.[5][6] This dialect, spoken in the Bundu and Liwan valleys of the Crocker-Trusmadi ranges (now parts of the present-day districts of Ranau, Tambunan and Keningau), was selected as it was deemed to be the most mutually intelligible when conversing with other "Dusun" or "Kadazan" dialects.
Phonology
The phonemes in Central Dusun and Coastal Kadazan are as follows:
Consonants
Robinson specifies that /r/ in Tindal Dusun is a flap [ɾ].
[x] occurs as an allophone of /k/ in word-medial position.[7]
Tangit and MBDK note that Coastal Kadazan consonants correspond to the following consonants found in other varieties:
| Central Dusun consonant | Coastal Kadazan cognate | Example |
|---|---|---|
| /r/ | /l/ | CD ralan, CK lahan "road" |
| /r/ | /∅/ | CD boros, CK boos "word" |
| /l/ | /h/ | CD loyou, CK hozou "song" |
| /w/ | /v/ | CD awasi, CK avasi "good" |
| /j/ | /z/ | CD agayo, CK agazo "big" |
Vowels
Kadazandusun is usually said to have four vowels /a i u o/. According to Tingit, /o/ in Central Dusun is less rounded [o̜, ɤ] than in Coastal Kadazan and is sometimes represented with ⟨e⟩.
Orthography
Dusun is written using the Latin alphabet using 21 characters (the letters C, E, F, Q, and X are used in loanwords):
A B D G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z
These characters together are called Pimato.
Diphthongs: ⟨aa⟩ ⟨ai⟩ (sometimes pronounced /e/) ⟨ii⟩ ⟨oi⟩ ⟨uu⟩
Some combinations of vowels do not form diphthongs and each vowel retains its separate sound: ⟨ao⟩ ⟨ia⟩ ⟨iu⟩ ⟨ui⟩ ⟨ue⟩. In some words ⟨aa⟩ is not a diphthong, and this is indicated by an apostrophe between the two vowels: a'a.
Grammar
Personal pronouns
Tindal Dusun[8] has a Philippine-type focus system of syntax that makes one particular noun phrase in a sentence the most prominent. The prominent or focused noun (or noun phrase) is not necessarily the subject or the agent. In clauses with pronouns, both the pronoun as well as the verbal morphology carry indication of focus. If the verbal morphology carries actor-focus, the clause's actor will be a nominative pronoun - or rarely an emphatic pronoun. Any other noun phrase in the clause must take pronouns from a different set[clarification needed], as only one noun phrase can be the focus of a clause.
| Gloss | Nominative | Genitive | Oblique | Emphatic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | oku | ku | doho | joho |
| 2sg | ko | nu | diaʔ | jaʔ |
| 3sg | isio | disio~dow | isio | |
| 1in | toko | jatiʔ | ||
| 1ex | jahaj~jahɛː | dahɛː | jahɛː | |
| 2pl | jokow | dokow | jokow | |
| 3pl | joloʔ | dioloʔ | joloʔ | |
| Gloss | Emphatic | Nominative | Genitive | Oblique |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | yoku | oku | ku | doho |
| 1du | yato/iyahai | kito/iyahai/ikoi | dato/dahai | |
| 1pl | yotokou | tokou | dotokou | |
| 2sg | ika/ia' | ko/ika/ia' | nu | dia'/dika |
| 2pl | ikoyu | kou | dikoyu | |
| 3sg.m | isio | disido/dau | ||
| 3sg.f | isido | dosido/dau | ||
| 3pl | yolo | diolo | ||
"The "emphatic" pronouns are used alone or preposedly, either as answers or to stress the pronoun.[10]
Examples
Ika
You(emph)
i
[personal]
Kinomulok?
Kinomulok
Are you Kinomulok?
I
[personal]
Kinomulok
Kinomulok
oku
I
I am Kinomulok.
Isai
Who
ko?
you(non-emph)
Who are you?
I
[personal]
Tolimu
Batholomew
oku
I
I am Bartholomew.
Ika
You
mongoi.
go
You go.
Sentence structure
A typical Dusun sentence is VSO.[11]
Poposidang
dry
oku
I
parai.
rice
I dry rice.
It is, however, possible for a grammatically correct Dusun sentence to be SVO.
Oinsanan
all
tangaanak
children
sikul
school
nonuan
given
do uniform.
uniform
All students have been given uniforms.
Vocabulary
| English | Dusun |
|---|---|
| one | iso |
| two | duo |
| three | tolu |
| four | apat |
| five | limo |
| six | onom |
| seven | turu |
| eight | walu |
| nine | siam |
| ten | hopod |
| hundred | hatus |
| thousand | soriong |
To form numbers such as fifty or sixty, a multiplier is combined with a positional unit (tens, hundreds, thousands etc.), using no.
tolu
three
no
already
hopod
ten
thirty
Separate units are combined with om.
soriong
1000
om
and
turu
seven
no
already
hatus
100
om
and
duo
two
no
already
hopod
ten
om
and
siam
nine
one thousand, seven hundred and twenty nine
| English | Dusun |
|---|---|
| January | Milatok |
| February | Mansak |
| March | Gomot |
| April | Ngiop |
| May | Mikat |
| June | Mahas/Rilik |
| July | Madas/Tutud |
| August | Magus/Ngurak |
| September | Manom |
| October | Gumas |
| November | Milau |
| December | Momuhau |
The Dusun name of the months derive from the traditional cycle of paddy harvesting.[citation needed]
| English | Dusun | |
|---|---|---|
| Dusun name | Numerical[citation needed] | |
| Monday | Tontolu | Tadau koiso |
| Tuesday | Mirod | Tadau koduo |
| Wednesday | Madsa | Tadau kotolu |
| Thursday | Tadtaru | Tadau kaapat |
| Friday | Kurudu | Tadau kolimo |
| Saturday | Kukuak | Tadau koonom |
| Sunday | Tiwang | Tadau koturu/minggu |
The names for the days of the week are mostly based on a simple numerical sequence, which is commonly used for media and newspapers.[citation needed] The names of Dusun days as part of the seven-day week derive from the life cycle of a butterfly.
Dialects
Central Dusun is divided into four main dialect groups:
- Liwanic: Liwan, Inobong Dusun, Tuhawon
- Bunduic: Bundu, Sinulihan, Tagahas, Manggatal Dusun
- Tindalic: Tindal-Kiau-Tempasuk, Luba-Tonduk-Gobukon
- Ulu Sugut Dusun: Tinagas, Lingkabau, Talantang
Central Dusun dialects are mostly mutually intelligible when conversing.
