Nedebang language
Encyclopedia
Nedebang is a Papuan language spoken in the villages of Balungada and Baulang in the eastern district of Pantar island in the Alor archipelago
of Indonesia
. There are also Nedebang speakers in Air Panas, administratively part of Balungada but located 1 km from the main village.
The logonym Nedebang is widely recognized by speakers, though some prefer the logonym Klamu. The former refers to the name of an ancestral village located on a ridge above the area in which the speakers now reside. This area is reportedly still used for gardening and for traditional ceremonies. The term Klamu refers to a tribe (Indonesian suku). The Klamu people moved from Nedebang to the coast prior to Indonesian independence, probably in the 1930s. Religion plays a significant role in the social and linguistic dynamics of the region. With the exception of Air Panas, the people of Balungada are Christian, and most residents are of Klamu descent. In contrast, the villages of Baulang and Air Panas are Islamic and contain significant populations of Austronesian-speakers who have migrated from Baranusa. The language thus appears to be more viable in Balungada. There appears to be no strong dialect division within Nedebang.
Nedebang is an extremely endangered language
. It is no longer used as the language of daily communication, even within the home. Indonesian
or Alor Malay is used widely. Some residents of Bolungada are also fluent in Tewa; and some residents of Air Panas speak the Baranusa dialect of the Alor language
(not to be confused with Alor Malay). There are fewer than 200 speakers of Nedebang and the youngest speakers are in their 50s.
and Pantar
, Nedebang has been tentatively classified as part of the Trans–New Guinea family.
Alor Archipelago
The Alor Archipelago is located at the easternmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands.Alor is the largest island in the archipelago which is located at its eastern end. Other islands in the archipelago include Pantar, Kepa, Buaya, Ternate , Pura and Tereweng...
of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. There are also Nedebang speakers in Air Panas, administratively part of Balungada but located 1 km from the main village.
The logonym Nedebang is widely recognized by speakers, though some prefer the logonym Klamu. The former refers to the name of an ancestral village located on a ridge above the area in which the speakers now reside. This area is reportedly still used for gardening and for traditional ceremonies. The term Klamu refers to a tribe (Indonesian suku). The Klamu people moved from Nedebang to the coast prior to Indonesian independence, probably in the 1930s. Religion plays a significant role in the social and linguistic dynamics of the region. With the exception of Air Panas, the people of Balungada are Christian, and most residents are of Klamu descent. In contrast, the villages of Baulang and Air Panas are Islamic and contain significant populations of Austronesian-speakers who have migrated from Baranusa. The language thus appears to be more viable in Balungada. There appears to be no strong dialect division within Nedebang.
Nedebang is an extremely endangered language
Endangered language
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes a dead language. If eventually no one speaks the language at all it becomes an "extinct language"....
. It is no longer used as the language of daily communication, even within the home. Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
or Alor Malay is used widely. Some residents of Bolungada are also fluent in Tewa; and some residents of Air Panas speak the Baranusa dialect of the Alor language
Alorese
Alorese is an Austronesian language spoken on Alor and the neighboring islands of the Alor archipelago in eastern Indonesia. It is not to be confused with non-Austronesian languages of the Alor–Pantar family which are also spoken in this region...
(not to be confused with Alor Malay). There are fewer than 200 speakers of Nedebang and the youngest speakers are in their 50s.
Classification
Together with the other Papuan languages of AlorAlor
Alor is the largest island in the Alor Archipelago located at the eastern-most end of the Lesser Sunda Islands that runs through southern Indonesia, which from the west include such islands as Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, and Flores....
and Pantar
Pantar
Pantar is the second largest island in the Indonesian Alor Archipelago, after Alor. To the east is the island of Alor and other small islands in the archipelago; to the west is the Alor Strait, which separates it from the Solor Archipelago. To the south is the Ombai Strait, and 72 km away,...
, Nedebang has been tentatively classified as part of the Trans–New Guinea family.