The Indonesian language is unique and different from any other language. But are there languages similar to Indonesian?
Languages spoken worldwide have various similar languages, and Indonesian is no exception. Let us explore this further.
Languages Similar To Indonesian – 5 Best Ones
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia, and it is a member of the Austronesian family of languages.
It is also known as Bahasa Indonesia, or “the language of Indonesia.”
Other languages like Arabic, Dutch, Sanskrit, Chinese, Portuguese, and, more recently, English language has also influenced Indonesian.
The history of the Indonesian language is a testament to the many influences on the language. The earliest known use of the language dates back to around 3,000 BC.
It was later influenced by Indian and Chinese traders who brought Sanskrit words into Indonesia.
Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century also influenced Indonesian, introducing many words from Latin and Portuguese.
During the Dutch colonial period in the 17th century, Dutch loanwords were added to Indonesia.
The languages most closely related to Indonesian are Malay, Javanese, and Acehnese.
Indonesian is also sometimes considered a dialect of Malay since it has many similarities in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
Indonesian also shares some common words with several other Austronesian languages, such as Tagalog (Philippines)
Here are the top 5 languages similar to Indonesian.
1. Malay:
Malay is the most closely related language to Indonesian and has many similarities in terms of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
It is spoken in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and Indonesia. Over 20 million people speak Malay.
Malay evolved from Old Malay, a western dialect of the Austronesian language family.
It was used as a lingua franca in maritime Southeast Asia and is believed to be the ancestor language of modern Malaysian and Indonesian languages.
Similarities:
There are many similarities between Malay and Indonesian, including the same alphabet and pronunciation.
Some of the grammar structures and words are also similar. For example, in both languages, the word for “hello” is “Selamat Pagi“.
Another similarity is that both languages use the same base vocabulary.
That means that many words are the same in both languages and easily understood by speakers of either language.
In addition, both languages use honorifics to show respect to different people.
For example, using different words to address someone based on age or status, like in most Asian Languages.
Differences:
The differences between Malay and Indonesian lie mainly in the more complex grammar structures.
For example, Indonesian uses a subject-verb-object word order, while Malay has a verb-subject-object order.
Additionally, Indonesian has many more verb conjugations than Malay.
The main difference between the two languages is that Malay has more loanwords from Arabic and Sanskrit, while Indonesian has more loanwords from Dutch.
That means some words in both languages are unrelated and need to be learned differently by each speaker.
2. Javanese:
Javanese is a language spoken by the people of Java and its surrounding islands.
It is the official language of Indonesia, with about 70 million speakers making it the most widely-spoken language in the country.
Javanese is also spoken in parts of Malaysia and Singapore. Javanese has a long history, with records of the language dating back to the 14th century.
The language derives from Old Javanese, used during the Majapahit Empire (1293-1520).
During this period, Javanese was heavily influenced by Sanskrit and Old Malay.
After Indonesia declared independence in 1945, the language was taught in schools and remains an official language today.
Javanese is closely related to Indonesian, with many similar or identical words and phrases.
Similarities:
When it comes to similarities between Javanese and Indonesian, the two languages are closely related.
Both have the same root language, Austronesian, and share many common words. For example, the words for “yes” and “no” are “sí” and “tidak” in both languages.
In addition, the grammar structure of the two languages is very similar.
Both use SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) word order, where the verb is placed at the end of a sentence.
The writing system used by Javanese and Indonesian is also the same.
Both languages are written in Latin script, with some differences in spelling conventions between the two.
Both languages have various dialects. Several dialects of Javanese and Indonesian are used in different parts of the country.
Differences:
Although Javanese and Indonesian are both Malayo-Polynesian languages, there are some key differences.
For example, Javanese has quite a different writing system from Indonesian, with symbols that need to be learned.
Additionally, the syntax and structure of sentences tend to differ between the two languages.
The most obvious difference is that Javanese has a more formal politeness system than Indonesian.
Javanese also has a lot of influence from Arabic and Sanskrit, while Indonesian has more loanwords from Dutch.
Javanese has a more complex verb system than Indonesian and a greater variety of personal pronouns.
That means some words in both languages are unrelated and need to be learned differently by each speaker.
3. Tagalog:
Tagalog is a language native to the Philippines. More than 24 million people speak it in various Filipino dialects.
Making it one of the most widely-spoken languages in the country. Spanish and English have heavily influenced Tagalog due to colonial rule in the Philippines.
Tagalog is a language spoken in the Philippines and is closely related to Indonesian.
Tagalog and Indonesian share many of the same words, which means that speaking them can be easier for those who already speak one of the languages.
However, there are also some differences between Tagalog and Indonesian regarding pronunciation and grammar rules.
Similarities:
Tagalog and Indonesian are Austronesian languages that share many of the same words.
That makes them easy to understand for those who already speak one of the languages.
For example, they both have a subject-verb-object word order, similar verb tenses, and noun classes.
Additionally, their pronouns are very similar. There are also many similarities in how they express numbers and do calculations and idioms.
Another similarity is that both languages use particles to indicate polite forms of speech.
Differences:
The main difference between Tagalog and Indonesian is pronunciation. Tagalog is typically considered more “faster-paced” than Indonesian.
It also has fewer tones, with only two: high and low.
While both languages have similar consonants, vowels, and stress patterns, there are slight variations between them.
Although the languages have a similar vocabulary, they also have different words and expressions that are unique to each language.
Additionally, Tagalog has a more complex grammar than Indonesian.
For example, while both languages utilize subject-verb-object word order, how verb tenses and noun classes are quite different.
Finally, Tagalog requires more conjugations than Indonesian when forming phrases.
4. Sundanese:
Sundanese is the language of the Sundanese ethnic group in Western Java.
It is closely related to Indonesian, though there are some differences between the two languages.
Sundanese is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by around 39 million people across Java, with most speakers living in West Java.
It is closely related to Indonesian but with some distinct characteristics that separate it from its relative.
Similarities:
Sundanese and Indonesian share many of the same words and have similar grammatical structures.
The two languages also use the same alphabet, with some slight differences.
Additionally, both Sundanese and Indonesian contain a lot of loanwords from the Dutch due to their shared colonial past.
For example, “Sekolah” (school) in Indonesian is derived from the Dutch word for school, “school“.
Another similarity is that both have many dialects, each with distinct characteristics.
Differences:
The grammar and syntax of both languages are similar, but Sundanese has its distinct vocabulary, which can be difficult for native Indonesian speakers to understand.
Additionally, while both languages use the Latin alphabet, Sundanese also incorporates various symbols from its writing system, Aksara Sunda.
The most notable differences include a more extensive system of affixes and a range of honorifics used in conversation.
Sundanese also exhibits more complex verb conjugations and the use of post-positions instead of pre-positions when forming phrases.
The main difference between Sundanese and Indonesian lies in their pronunciations.
Similar languages often have different ways of saying words and thus have slightly different pronunciations.
For example, the Indonesian pronunciation of “Sekolah” is “seh-koh-lah“, whereas the Sundanese pronunciation is “sah-koh-lah“.
5. Acehnese:
Acehnese is a language spoken in the Aceh province of Indonesia. It is spoken by over 4 million people and is a Malay-based language.
Acehnese is a language that has been around for centuries. It originated in the early 10th century and was spoken by the people who lived in Aceh.
The language was heavily influenced by Sanskrit, Arabic, Malaysian, and Dutch through the years.
Acehnese was heavily suppressed during Dutch colonialism, but it has since re-emerged and is still spoken by millions of people in Aceh today.
It is a Malayo-Polynesian language and shares many similarities with Indonesian. Still, there are some key differences between the two languages.
Similarities:
Acehnese language has several similarities to Indonesian. For example, both languages use reduplication and infixation when forming words.
Like Indonesian, Acehnese uses the Latin alphabet for writing, and grammar rules are similar.
For example, Acehnese has a verb-object word order, like Indonesian.
Another similarity between the two languages is that Acehnese also has a distinction between formal and informal forms of speech.
For example, polite forms of speech are expected when addressing elders, supervisors, or authority figures.
Finally, both languages are similar in terms of their vocabulary. Many Acehnese words are derived from Malay, the basis of Indonesian.
Differences:
Although Acehnese and Indonesian share many similarities, some key differences exist between the two languages.
For instance, Acehnese does not use loanwords from other languages like Indonesian.
In addition, Acehnese has a more complex system of verb conjugations than Indonesian and is much more conservative regarding pronunciation.
There are also some differences in vocabulary; for example, Acehnese uses different words for certain concepts that are the same in Indonesian.
The most noticeable difference is that Acehnese uses a more complex system of verb conjugations.
The vocabulary of Acehnese is much more complex, with many more words than Indonesian, and it also features its distinct pronunciation.
Acehnese has unique dialects and traditional vocabularies that make it distinct from Indonesian. For example, in Acehnese, “apa” (what) can be pronounced “apa-apa“.
Despite the differences, Acehnese is still considered very similar to Indonesian and is often used as a second language in many parts of Indonesia.
Final Thoughts:
There are several languages similar to Indonesian. These languages may have some dialects, pronunciations, and vocabulary differences.
They are all still similar enough to be considered a part of the same language family.
However, even with similarities, it is important to remember that each language has unique characteristics.
And understanding these differences can help you better appreciate and understand the various languages found in Indonesia.
That makes them great options for those looking to learn more about the culture and history of Indonesia.
So, if you’re looking to become more acquainted with the Indonesian language and culture, languages similar to Indonesian are worth exploring.
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