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Madurese language

language culture Maturity 11-13

Madurese is a way to talk.

Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
It is spoken on Madura Island. Many people use it to share stories. It helps people show respect. You can use special words for elders. Do you want to learn new words?
Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg

50 words

Madurese is a way to talk.

Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Many people use it in Indonesia. It is spoken on Madura Island. People also speak it on Java.

There are different ways to write it. People use a script with Latin letters. They also use a script based on Arabic.

Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg

This language has three levels. Some words are very polite. People use these to show respect. They use them for teachers or elders.

Other words are for friends. You can use those with people your own age. It is a special way to be kind.

There are many local dialects too. These are different ways of speaking. They change depending on where people live.

122 words

Madurese is a way of speaking used by many people.

Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
About 10 to 14 million people speak it. Most live on Madura Island or in eastern Java. They also speak it in places like Malaysia and Singapore.

People use different ways to write Madurese. They often use the Latin script. They also use Pegon, which is based on Arabic script. In the past, people used the Javanese script, called Carakan.

Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg

This language has three levels of speech. This helps people show respect. The first level is Èngghi-Bhunten. It is the most polite form. People use it for elders, teachers, or leaders. The second level is Èngghi-Enten. This is used in everyday social settings. The third level is Enjâ'-Iyâ. It is used with friends or younger people.

There are also many dialects. These are local ways of speaking. The Sumenep dialect is the standard form. This is because Sumenep was a center of culture. Other dialects include Bangkalan and Pasuruan. Some dialects, like Pendalungan, mix with the Javanese language.

180 words

Madurese is a special way of speaking used by millions of people.

Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
It is the native language of the Madurese people. Most speakers live on Madura Island or in eastern Java, Indonesia. Many people also speak it in places like Malaysia and Singapore. It is estimated that between 10 and 14 million people use this language. Even though the number of speakers is shrinking, it remains one of the most widely spoken languages in the country. It is a part of the larger Austronesian language family.
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png

There are many different ways to write Madurese words. In the past, people used a system called the Javanese script, or Carakan.

Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Today, most people use the Latin script, which is known as Alfabet Latèn. Some also use the Pegon script, which is based on Arabic letters. The language has many unique sounds. It has many different vowels and consonants. Some sounds are very important to tell words apart. For example, the words "seksek" and "sèksèk" mean different things because of how the vowels sound.
Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg

Madurese is famous for having three levels of speech. These levels help people show respect to others. The first level is called Èngghi-Bhunten. This is the most polite and refined way to speak. People use it when talking to parents, teachers, or community leaders. The second level is Èngghi-Enten. This is used for everyday social situations among peers. The third level is Enjâ'-Iyâ. This is a more familiar form used with friends or younger people.

Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg

Because the language is spoken in so many places, there are many dialects. A dialect is a local way of speaking. The Sumenep dialect is used as the standard form of Madurese. This is because Sumenep was once a center of Madurese culture and kingdoms. Other dialects include Bangkalan, Sampang, and Pamekasan. Some dialects, like the Pendalungan dialect, even mix with the Javanese language.

Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
There is also the Bawean language, which is a dialect spoken on Bawean Island. This dialect is also spoken by people in Malaysia and Singapore.

Learning Madurese helps you understand how people connect through respect. The way a person chooses their words shows how they feel about the person they are meeting. For instance, you might ask for the price of mangoes in different ways. You could use Èngghi-Bhunten to be very polite to a seller. Or you could use Enjâ'-Iyâ if you are speaking to a child.

Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
This system of levels is similar to other languages like Balinese or Javanese. It shows how much people value kindness and social rules in their daily lives.

464 words

Madurese is a significant language spoken by the Madurese people. It is native to Madura Island and the eastern part of Java, Indonesia.

Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Many migrants have carried the language to other areas. These include Surabaya, Malang, and various regencies in the eastern salient of Java. It is also spoken in the Masalembu and Raas Islands, and parts of Kalimantan. Some descendants of the Bawean people speak the Bawean dialect in Malaysia and Singapore. Estimates suggest there are between 10 and 14 million speakers. This makes it one of the most widely spoken languages in Indonesia.

Linguistically, Madurese belongs to the Malayo-Sumbawan language group. This group is a branch of the larger Austronesian language family.

Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Interestingly, Madurese is more closely related to languages like Balinese, Malay, Sasak, and Sundanese. It is less related to Javanese, despite being spoken near the island of Java. The connection to Bali-Sasak languages is most evident in the vernacular or common forms of speech. This classification helps researchers understand how different cultures in the region are connected through history.

The way Madurese is written has changed over time. Traditionally, it was written using the Javanese script, also known as Carakan.

Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Today, the Latin script, called Alfabet Latèn, is the most common method. The Pegon script, which is based on Arabic characters, is also used. The modern orthography uses specific letters for vowels and consonants. For example, the letters f, q, v, x, and z are used specifically for loanwords. The language also uses an apostrophe to represent a glottal stop, which is a distinct sound from the velar /k/.

Madurese phonology, or the study of its sounds, is quite complex. It features many different vowels and consonants. The vowels are categorized by where they are produced in the mouth, such as front, central, or back. Some vowels exist in complementary distribution. This means certain vowels appear only in specific environments. For instance, four specific vowels occur after voiced and aspirated consonants. The first four vowels occur in other positions.

Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Consonants also play a vital role in meaning. Madurese has more consonants than its neighbors because it distinguishes between voiceless unaspirated, voiceless aspirated, and voiced unaspirated sounds. It also maintains a contrast between dental and alveolar or retroflex stops.

Specific consonant combinations and diphthongs add to the language's texture. There are five letter combinations used: kh, ng, ny, sy, and th. Additionally, there are five aspirated consonants that are distinct from unaspirated ones. For example, the word bârâ means swelling, while bhârâ means lungs. These small sound differences change the entire meaning of a word. The language also uses three diphthongs, which are sounds made by combining two vowels: ay, oy, and uy. These sounds are found in words like tapay or loyloy.

Social structure is reflected in the language through three distinct speech levels or registers. These levels allow speakers to show respect based on who they are talking to. The first level is Èngghi-Bhunten. This is the most polite and refined form. It is used for parents, elders, teachers, and community leaders. The second level is Èngghi-Enten. This is used for everyday social situations among peers. The third level is Enjâ'-Iyâ. This is a familiar form used with friends or younger people.

Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Speakers often ask permission before switching to the more familiar Enjâ'-Iyâ form.

Because the language is spread across many islands, many dialects exist. The Sumenep dialect serves as the standard form of Madurese. This is because Sumenep was historically the center of Madurese kingdom and culture. Other major dialects include Bangkalan, Sampang, and Pamekasan. In the eastern salient of Java, the Pendalungan dialect is common. This dialect often mixes Madurese with the Javanese language.

Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
In these areas, many people are masters of both Madurese and Javanese. This linguistic diversity shows how the Madurese people have moved and interacted with other groups over time.

670 words
🖼️ Images & Media (2)
File:Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese script-published in 1890) (cropped).jpg
Raden Segara (Madurese in Javanese...
File:Dialek bahasa Madura.png
Dialek bahasa Madura.png
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