Bahsa Acèh
Acehnese
Austronesian (Chamic)
Acehnese (Bahsa Acèh) is the language of the Aceh Special Region of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, with ~3.5M speakers. Linguistically unusual among Indonesian languages — it belongs to the Chamic branch of Austronesian (along with Cham of Vietnam/Cambodia and Jarai), indicating ancient migration from mainland Southeast Asia (Funan/Champa) to Sumatra around the 1st millennium CE. Has a complex 10-vowel system (with high/low oral and 4 nasalized vowels), an unusual two-way pharyngealization contrast, and a focus-marking system. Historically written in Jawi (Arabic-derived script) for Islamic texts; today usually in Latin script with é è ô. The Aceh Sultanate (1496–1903) was a major Islamic regional power.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Acehnese
Water
ie
/ie/
Fire
apui
/apui/
Sun
mata uroe
/mata uɾoe/
Moon
buleun
/bulɯn/
Star
bintang
/bintaŋ/
Mother
mak
/maʔ/
Father
ayah
/ajah/
I
lôn
/lɔn/
You
gata
/gata/
Name
nan
/nan/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hand
jaroe
/dʒaɾoe/
Heart
até
/ate/
Love
gaséh
/ɡaseh/
Tree
bak
/baʔ/
House
rumoh
/ɾumɔh/
Dog
asèe
/asɛː/
Cat
miong
/mioŋ/
Eat
pajôh
/padʒoh/
Drink
jep
/dʒep/
One
sa
/sa/
Two
dua
/duwa/
Hello
assalamualaikum
/assalamualaikum/
Thank you
trimong gaséh
/tɾimoŋ ɡaseh/
Good
gèt
/ɡɛt/
Computer
komputer
/komˈputər/
Sushi
sushi
/suˈsi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Chamic) languages
| Meaning | Acehnese | Minangkabau | Sasak | Banjar | Malay | Iban | Indonesian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ie /ie/ | aia /aia/ | aiq /aiʔ/ | banyu /baɲu/ | air /ˈa.ir/ | ai /ai/ | air /ˈa.ir/ |
| Fire | apui /apui/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | mata uroe /mata uɾoe/ | matoari /matoaɾi/ | mataari /mataari/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ | mata-ari /mataari/ | matahari /matahari/ |
| Moon | buleun /bulɯn/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Star | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ |
| Mother | mak /maʔ/ | amak /amaʔ/ | inaq /inaʔ/ | uma /uma/ | ibu /ibu/ | indai /indai/ | ibu /ibu/ |
| Father | ayah /ajah/ | abak /abaʔ/ | amaq /amaʔ/ | abah /abah/ | ayah /ajah/ | apai /apai/ | ayah /ajah/ |
| I | lôn /lɔn/ | ambo /ambo/ | aku /aku/ | aku /aku/ | saya /saja/ | aku /aku/ | saya /saja/ |
| You | gata /gata/ | ang /aŋ/ | side /sidə/ | ikam /ikam/ | awak /awaʔ/ | nuan /nuan/ | kamu /kamu/ |
| Name | nan /nan/ | namo /namo/ | aran /aran/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | nama /nama/ | nama /nama/ | nama /nama/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mato /mato/ | mate /mate/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | jaroe /dʒaɾoe/ | tangan /taŋan/ | ime /ime/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | jari /dʒari/ | tangan /taŋan/ |
| Heart | até /ate/ | ati /ati/ | ate /ate/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ |
| Love | gaséh /ɡaseh/ | cinto /tʃinto/ | tresne /tresne/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | rinduai /rinduai/ | cinta /tʃinta/ |
| Tree | bak /baʔ/ | kayu /kaju/ | lolon kayu /lolon kaju/ | batang /bataŋ/ | pokok /pokoʔ/ | kayu /kaju/ | pohon /pohon/ |
| House | rumoh /ɾumɔh/ | rumah /ɾumah/ | bale /bale/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ |
| Dog | asèe /asɛː/ | anjiang /aɲdʒiaŋ/ | aco /atʃo/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | ukui /ukui/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | miong /mioŋ/ | kuciang /kutʃiaŋ/ | meong /meoŋ/ | pusa /pusa/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | mayau /majau/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Eat | pajôh /padʒoh/ | makan /makan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | makai /makai/ | makan /makan/ |
| Drink | jep /dʒep/ | minum /minum/ | nginem /ŋinəm/ | nginum /ŋinum/ | minum /minum/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ | minum /minum/ |
| One | sa /sa/ | ciek /tʃieʔ/ | esa /esa/ | asa /asa/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ |
| Two | dua /duwa/ | duo /duo/ | due /duə/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ |
| Hello | assalamualaikum /assalamualaikum/ | salam /salam/ | salam /salam/ | salam /salam/ | hai /hai/ | salam /salam/ | halo /ˈhalo/ |
| Thank you | trimong gaséh /tɾimoŋ ɡaseh/ | tarimo kasiah /taɾimo kasiah/ | tampi asih /tampi asih/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ | terima kasih /tərima kasih/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | terima kasih /tərima kasih/ |
| Good | gèt /ɡɛt/ | rancak /ɾantʃaʔ/ | solah /solah/ | bagus /baɡus/ | baik /baiʔ/ | manah /manah/ | baik /baiʔ/ |
| Computer | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /kɔmˈpu.tə(r)/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /kɔmˈputər/ |
| Sushi | sushi /suˈsi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | susyi /suʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | susyi /su.ʃi/ |
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