Unless you have never learnt History/Local Studies during your school time, then you must have known that Sabah [and Sarawak too] is a very heterogeneous state. In this state, Kadazan-Dusun [KD] is the biggest ethnic group [700,000 people], but to be specific, it is actually made up by two different but related groups – Kadazan and Dusun. Under those two are an array of many sub-groups such as Paitan, Tindal, Lotud, Rungus, and Murut.
Okay, enough with that… the reason of that simple fact is because of this:
Dari Sipitang Kepada Anda [A mix of Lun Dayeh, Murut, and Kedayan languages]
Kementerian Pelajaran. SMK in KD is Sikul Mananga Kabansaan
Suruhanjaya Pomilian Tagayo, no need to translate that. Hahaha...
They’re examples of KD Language [Boros Kadazan-Dusun] articles in one of Sabahan daily newspapers, The Sabah Times. What’s interesting about the language is that it has no native phonemes for [e] and [ə], but has an extensive presence of [v] and [z] [especially for Kadazan languages].
Besides, there is actually no single KD language. Instead, your language/dialect depends on where you live and your sub-group, if I can say so. Of course with those many dialects, communications might be hard. A common language is needed. So, a new 'standardised language' is created and some KD children are now learning it in Sabahan schools.
I think it’s a beautiful language, but with less and less younger KD speakers, the language is dying. Perhaps it’s time to ponder on ourselves: when a language dies, millennia of great knowledge and culture are also taken away.
Kounsikaan!
[P.S.: the meaning of the post’s title is ‘One Language, One Love, One Life. Cheers!’ Hahaha… [it feels like a slogan for promoting a language. Hahaha] well, not sure if the title’s right though. Perhaps, I might even mix both Kadazan and Dusun in it. Ngeheheh]
2 hecks:
Interesting facts! I had come across the newspaper but I didn't know they're of different dialects?
Ps. Are you working on Sociolinguistic assignment? This is indeed a rare topic!
Not really, Im. KD has lots of dialects with different degrees of mutual intelligibility.
The newspaper, as well as Sabahan schools that teach KD uses the 'standardised' language. The Bunduliwan dialect is taken as the base language, and many other terms and words from other dialects from all around Sabah are inserted to form this *new* language.
That's why some of our Sabahan friends can't understand it, unless they learn it in school. Most of the time, what they know are their local dialects.
[and how I wish this is a Sociolinguistic assignment. Unfortunately, it's not. Hahaha... We'll learn that? Cool!]
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