Dusun language
| Kadazan Dusun | |
|---|---|
| Boros Dusun | |
| Bunduliwan | |
| Native to | Malaysia, Brunei |
| Region | Sabah, Labuan |
| Ethnicity | Dusun people, Kadazan people |
Native speakers | (140,000 Central Dusun cited 1991)[1] 100,000 ethnic population other dialects (1981–2000)[1][may need to subtract 15k Sugut and Minokok] |
Austronesian
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | dtp |
| Glottolog | dusu1277 |
Kadazan Dusun, AKA Bunduliwan (Dusun: Boros Dusun), is one of the more widespread languages spoken by the Dusun and Kadazan peoples of Sabah, Malaysia.
Official dialect
Under the efforts of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association Sabah, the standardized Kadazan-Dusun language is of the central Bundu-Liwan dialect spoken in Bundu and Liwan. Dusun Bundu-liwan's selection was based on it being the most mutually intelligible, when conversing with other Dusun or Kadazan dialects.[2]
Alphabet
The Dusun-Kadazan language is written using the Latin alphabet and it has 22 characters (the letters C, F, Q, and X are not used except in loanwords):
A B D E G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z
These characters together are called Pimato
Vowels
The vowels are divided into:
Simple vowels: a e i o u
Diphthongs: aa ai(sometimes pronounced /ee/) ii oi uu
Some combinations of vowels do not form diphthongs and each vowel retains its separate sound: ao ia iu ui ue. In some words aa is not a dipthtong. This is indicated by an apostrophe between the two vowels: a’a.
Structure
The Dusun phrase structure follow a different pattern since the normal English SUBJECT – VERB – OBJECT structure is non-existent in the Dusun construction. A typical Dusun sentence follows the VERB – SUBJECT – OBJECT structure.
| Word order |
English equivalent |
Proportion of languages |
Example languages | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOV | "She him loves." | 45% | Japanese, Latin, Turkish | |
| SVO | "She loves him." | 42% | English, Mandarin, Russian | |
| VSO | "Loves she him." | 9% | Biblical Hebrew, Irish, Zapotec | |
| VOS | "Loves him she." | 3% | Malagasy, Baure | |
| OVS | "Him loves she." | 1% | Apalaí?, Hixkaryana? | |
| OSV | "Him she loves." | 0% | Warao, Yoda | |
Frequency distribution of word order in languages
surveyed by Russell S. Tomlin in 1980s.[3][4]
Example
Dusun sentence: Monginum isio do waig.
Direct English translation: Drink him water.
English interpretation: He is drinking water.
Dusun sentence: Nunu maan nu do suab?
Direct English translation: What do you tomorrow?
English interpretation: "What are you doing tomorrow?" or to a lesser extent, "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"
Examples
Genesis 1:1-3
Ontok di timpuun ih, tuminimpuun o Kinorohingan do minomonsoi do libabou om pomogunan. Orolot iti pomogunan om inggaa suang, om pointuong nokulumutan di rahat topuhod. Mintulud sunduan do Kinorohingan do hiri id soibau di waig. Om pomoros nodi o Kinorohingan do, "Nawau no" ka. Om haro nodi o tanawau. Om asanangan tomod o Kinorohingan do nokokitoh diri. Pitongkiado no do Kinoingan ih tanawau do mantad hiri id totuong. Om pungaranai nodi do Kinorohingan do "dangadau" it anawau, om iri otuong nopo nga pinungaranan dau do "dongotuong". Haro di sosodopon, sinusuhut minsusuab – iri no o tadau kumoiso.
Translation
In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep water. The spirit of God was hovering over the water. Then God said, "Let there be light!" So there was light. God saw the light was good. So God separated the light from the darkness. God named the light "day", and the darkness he named "night". There was evening, then morning, the first day.
| English | Dusun | Malaysian |
|---|---|---|
| zero | aiso | kosong/sifar |
| one | iso | satu |
| two | duo | dua |
| three | tolu | tiga |
| four | apat | empat |
| five | limo | lima |
| six | onom | enam |
| seven | turu | tujuh |
| eight | walu | lapan |
| nine | siam | sembilan |
| ten | hopod | sepuluh |
| eleven | hopod om iso | sebelas |
| twenty | duo no hopod | dua puluh |
| three thousand two hundred and eighty nine (3289) | tolu noribu duo nahatus walu nohopod om siam | tiga ribu dua ratus lapan puluh sembilan |
Months and days
| English | Dusun |
|---|---|
| January | Milatok |
| February | Mansak |
| March | Gomot |
| April | Ngiop |
| May | Mikat |
| June | Mahas |
| July | Madas |
| August | Magus |
| September | Manom |
| October | Gumas |
| November | Milau |
| December | Momuhau |
| English | Dusun |
|---|---|
| Monday | Tontolu |
| Tuesday | Madsa |
| Wednesday | Tadtaru |
| Thursday | Kurudu |
| Friday | Mirod |
| Saturday | Kukuak |
| Sunday | Tiwang |
Five Ws and one H
| English | Dusun | Malaysian |
|---|---|---|
| What | Onu/Nu/Nunu | Apa |
| Who | Isai | Siapa |
| Where | Hinonggo/Honggo | Di mana |
| When | Soira | Bila |
| Why | Nokuro | Kenapa |
| How | Poingkuro | Bagaimana |
References
- ^ a b Kadazan Dusun at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Kadazandusun Cultural Association. "Official dialect". 11 April 1995.
- ^ Introducing English Linguistics International Student Edition by Charles F. Meyer
- ^ Russell Tomlin, "Basic Word Order: Functional Principles", Croom Helm, London, 1986, page 22
