Minangkabau (Baso Minangkabau / باسو مينڠكاباو)

Minangkabau is a Malayic language with about 8.5 million speakers in West and North Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, Bengkulu and Aceh in Indonesia, and in Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia. There are a number of dialects of Minangkabau in the different areas where it's spoken. The most common dialect used among Minangkabau people to communicate with Minangkabau speakers from different areas is the Agam-Tanah Datar dialect (Baso Padang or Baso Urang Awak "our (people's) language").

Minangkabau is currently written with the Latin alphabet, but used to be written with a version of the Arabic alphabet.

Minangkabau pronunciation

Sample text in Minangkabau

Sadonyo manusia dilahiakan mardeka dan punyo martabat sarato hak-hak nan samo. Mareka dikaruniai aka jo hati nurani, supayo satu samo lain bagaul sarupo urang badunsanak.

Listen to a recording of this text by Sjinta Djoemiati

Another version of this text translated by Andre Septiawan
Sado alah manusia dilahiakan mardeka jo punyo martabaik sarato hak-hak nan samo. Inyo dikaruniaan aka jo hati nurani, supayo surang jo nan lain bagauah di dalam samangaik badunsanak.

Sample text in Minangkabau (Arabic alphabet)

سادوڽو مأنسي دلهياكن مرديكا دان ڤوڽو مرتبت ساراتو حق-حق نن سامو. مريك دكارونياي اكا جو هاتي نوراني، سوڤيو ساتو سامو لاين باڬاول ساروڤو اورڠ بادونسانق.

Arabic sample text provided by Afi Fatoni

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Sample video in Minangkabau

Information about Minangkabau | Number in Minangkabau

Links

Information about Minangkabau
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minangkabau_language
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minangkabau_(langue)
http://www.ling.hawaii.edu/ldtc/languages/minang/

Malayo-Polynesian languages

Alorese, Ambai, Ambel, Anuki, Balinese, Bambam, Banjarese, Batuley, Bengkulu, Biak, Bima, Bugis, Bushi, Chamorro, Duri, Fijian, Fordata, Gayo, Iban, Indonesian, Javanese, Kei, Kerinci, Komering, Lamaholot, Lampung, Ledo Kaili, Madurese, Makasarese, Malagasy, Malay, Mamasa, Mandar, Mandar, Mbula, Mentawai, Minangkabau, Mualang, Musi, Ngaju, Nias, Ogan, Palauan, Sasak, Selaru, Sumbawa, Sundanese, Toqabaqita, Toraja-Sa'dan, Ulumandaʼ, Urak Lawoi’, Wamesa, Yamdena

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 11.10.23

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