Boros Dusun
Kadazan-Dusun
Austronesian (Sabahan)
Central Dusun (Kadazan-Dusun) is the cover term for closely related Sabahan Austronesian languages of Malaysian Borneo (Sabah), with ~570K speakers across Kadazan and Dusun varieties. Made co-official in Sabah in 1995 alongside Bahasa Malaysia and English. The Kaamatan harvest festival (May) celebrates the rice spirit Bambaazon — a major cultural anchor. Unified standard developed by the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) since 1989 using Latin script. Taught in primary schools in Kadazandusun-majority districts.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Kadazan-Dusun
Water
waig
/waiɡ/
Fire
tapui
/tapui/
Sun
todau
/todau/
Moon
vulan
/vulan/
Mother
tina
/tina/
Father
tama
/tama/
Eat
mangakan
/maŋakan/
Drink
monginum
/moŋinum/
Love
gimbai
/ɡimbai/
Heart
pusod
/pusod/
Tree
kayu
/kayu/
House
walai
/walai/
Dog
tasu
/tasu/
Cat
tingau
/tiŋau/
Hand
lima
/lima/
Eye
mato
/mato/
Hello
kopivosian
/kopivosian/
Thank you
pounsikou
/pounsikou/
One
iso
/iso/
Good
avasi
/avasi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Sabahan) languages
| Meaning | Kadazan-Dusun | Coastal Kadazan | Maranao | Bunun | Old Tagalog | Tausug | Central Cagayan Agta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | waig /waiɡ/ | waig /waiɡ/ | ig /iɡ/ | danum /danum/ | ᜆᜓᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /tubiɡ/ | tubig /tubiɡ/ | danum /danum/ |
| Fire | tapui /tapui/ | tapui /taˈpui/ | apoy /apoj/ | sapuz /sapuz/ | ᜀᜉᜓᜌ᜔ /apuj/ | kayu /kaju/ | apuy /ʔaˈpuj/ |
| Sun | todau /todau/ | tadau /taˈdau/ | alongan /aloŋan/ | vali /vali/ | ᜀᜇᜏ᜔ /araw/ | adlaw /adlaw/ | agew /ˈʔaɡew/ |
| Moon | vulan /vulan/ | vuhan /ˈvuhan/ | bolan /bolan/ | buan /buan/ | ᜊᜓᜏᜈ᜔ /buwan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Mother | tina /tina/ | tina /ˈtina/ | ina /ina/ | tina /tina/ | ᜁᜈ /ina/ | inaꞌ /inaʔ/ | ina /ʔiˈna/ |
| Father | tama /tama/ | tama /ˈtama/ | ama /ama/ | tama /tama/ | ᜀᜋ /ama/ | amaꞌ /amaʔ/ | ama /ʔaˈma/ |
| Eat | mangakan /maŋakan/ | mangakan /maˈŋakan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | maun /maun/ | ᜃᜁᜈ᜔ /kain/ | kaun /kaʔun/ | mangan /maŋan/ |
| Drink | monginum /moŋinum/ | monginum /moˈŋinum/ | minom /minom/ | muqun /muqun/ | ᜁᜈᜓᜋ᜔ /inom/ | minum /minum/ | uminom /ʔumiˈnom/ |
| Love | gimbai /ɡimbai/ | ohunod /oˈhunod/ | kalimo /kalimo/ | madaidaz /madaidaz/ | ᜁᜊᜒᜄ᜔ /ibiɡ/ | lasa /lasa/ | ayat /ʔaˈjat/ |
| Heart | pusod /pusod/ | kosingan /koˈsiŋan/ | pusoʔ /pusoʔ/ | is-ang /isaŋ/ | ᜉᜓᜐᜓ /puso/ | pusuꞌ /pusuʔ/ | poso /poso/ |
| Tree | kayu /kayu/ | kayu /ˈkaju/ | kayo /kajo/ | kahu /kahu/ | ᜃᜑᜓᜌ᜔ /kahoj/ | kahuy /kahuj/ | kayo /kajo/ |
| House | walai /walai/ | walai /waˈlai/ | walay /walaj/ | lumaq /lumaq/ | ᜊᜑᜌ᜔ /bahaj/ | bāy /baːj/ | balay /balaj/ |
| Dog | tasu /tasu/ | tasu /ˈtasu/ | aso /aso/ | asu /asu/ | ᜀᜐᜓ /aso/ | iruꞌ /iruʔ/ | atu /ˈʔatu/ |
| Cat | tingau /tiŋau/ | tusing /ˈtusiŋ/ | pusa /pusa/ | ngingiyaw /ŋiŋijaw/ | ᜉᜓᜐ /pusa/ | kuting /kutiŋ/ | kuti /kuti/ |
| Hand | lima /lima/ | longon /ˈloŋon/ | lima /lima/ | ima /ima/ | ᜃᜋᜌ᜔ /kamaj/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Eye | mato /mato/ | mato /ˈmato/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | ᜋᜆ /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | kopivosian /kopivosian/ | kopivosian /kopiˈvosian/ | kapian /kapijan/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜑᜌ᜔ /mabuhaj/ | kumusta /kumusta/ | kumusta /kumusta/ |
| Thank you | pounsikou /pounsikou/ | pounsikou /pounˈsikou/ | salamat /salamat/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | ᜐᜎᜋᜆ᜔ /salamat/ | magsukul /maɡsukul/ | salamat /salamat/ |
| One | iso /iso/ | iso /ˈiso/ | isa /isa/ | tasa /tasa/ | ᜁᜐ /isa/ | isa /isa/ | isa /ʔiˈsa/ |
| Good | avasi /avasi/ | avasi /aˈvasi/ | mapia /mapija/ | masial /masial/ | ᜋᜊᜓᜆᜒ /mabuti/ | marayaw /marajaw/ | napya /napja/ |
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