Basa Gayo
Gayo
Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands)
Gayo (Basa Gayo; ISO 639-3: gay) is an Austronesian language spoken by the Gayo people in the central highlands of Aceh, Indonesia, especially in Central Aceh, Bener Meriah, and Gayo Lues. It is commonly classified in the Northwest Sumatra–Barrier Islands group, alongside the Batak, Nias, and Mentawai languages, and is genealogically distinct from neighboring Acehnese despite long contact. Gayo has several regional dialects, and Indonesian increasingly shares many public domains with it. The language is written in the Latin script and remains important in family life, local oral literature, songs, ceremonies, and cultural transmission. Saman dance, inscribed by UNESCO in 2011 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, is part of the cultural heritage of the Gayo people and uses Gayo verse and song.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Gayo
Water
weih
/weih/
Fire
rara
/ɾaɾa/
Sun
matanlo
/matanlo/
Moon
ulen
/ulən/
Star
bintang
/bintaŋ/
Mother
ine
/ine/
Father
ama
/ama/
I
aku
/aku/
You
ko
/ko/
Name
gerel
/gərəl/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hand
pumu
/pumu/
Heart
ate
/ate/
Love
kunyung
/kuɲuŋ/
Tree
kayu
/kaju/
House
umah
/umah/
Dog
asu
/asu/
Cat
kucing
/kutʃiŋ/
Eat
mangan
/maŋan/
Drink
minum
/minum/
One
sara
/saɾa/
Two
roa
/roa/
Hello
salam
/salam/
Thank you
berejen
/bərədʒən/
Good
jeroh
/dʒeɾoh/
Computer
komputer
/komˈputər/
Sushi
sushi
/ˈsuʃi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands) languages
| Meaning | Gayo | Batak Angkola | Simalungun Batak | Toba Batak | Iban | Lampung | Mandar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | weih /weih/ | aek /aek/ | bah /bah/ | aek /aek/ | ai /ai/ | way /waj/ | uai /uai/ |
| Fire | rara /ɾaɾa/ | api /api/ | apuy /apuj/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | apui /apui/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | matanlo /matanlo/ | mata ni ari /mata ni ari/ | mata ni ari /mata ni ari/ | mata ni ari /mata ni ari/ | mata-ari /mataari/ | matarani /matarani/ | mata allo /mata alːo/ |
| Moon | ulen /ulən/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulang /bulaŋ/ |
| Star | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | bittoeng /bittoeŋ/ |
| Mother | ine /ine/ | inang /inaŋ/ | inang /inaŋ/ | ina /ina/ | indai /indai/ | ina /ina/ | indo /indo/ |
| Father | ama /ama/ | amang /amaŋ/ | bapa /bapa/ | ama /ama/ | apai /apai/ | bak /baʔ/ | ama /ama/ |
| I | aku /aku/ | au /au/ | ahu /ahu/ | au /au/ | aku /aku/ | nyak /ɲaʔ/ | iyau /ijau/ |
| You | ko /ko/ | ho /ho/ | ho /ho/ | ho /ho/ | nuan /nuan/ | niku /niku/ | io /iʔo/ |
| Name | gerel /gərəl/ | goar /goar/ | goran /goran/ | goar /goar/ | nama /nama/ | gelagh /ɡəlaʁ/ | sanga /saŋa/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | pumu /pumu/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | jari /dʒari/ | pungow /puŋow/ | lima /lima/ |
| Heart | ate /ate/ | roha /roha/ | uhur /uhur/ | roha /roha/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ | ate /ate/ |
| Love | kunyung /kuɲuŋ/ | holong /holoŋ/ | holong /holoŋ/ | holong /holoŋ/ | rinduai /rinduai/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | mappinawa /mapːinawa/ |
| Tree | kayu /kaju/ | hayu /haju/ | hayu /haju/ | hau /hau/ | kayu /kaju/ | batang kayu /bataŋ kaju/ | kaju /kaju/ |
| House | umah /umah/ | bagas /baɡas/ | rumah /rumah/ | jabu /dʒabu/ | rumah /rumah/ | lamban /lamban/ | boyang /bojaŋ/ |
| Dog | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | baliang /baliaŋ/ | biang /biaŋ/ | ukui /ukui/ | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ |
| Cat | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | huting /hutiŋ/ | huting /hutiŋ/ | huting /hutiŋ/ | mayau /majau/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | mio /mio/ |
| Eat | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | makai /makai/ | nganik /ŋanik/ | ma'ande /maʔande/ |
| Drink | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ | nginum /ŋinum/ | minung /minuŋ/ |
| One | sara /saɾa/ | sada /sada/ | sada /sada/ | sada /sada/ | satu /satu/ | sai /sai/ | mesa /mesa/ |
| Two | roa /roa/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ | rua /ruwa/ | dua /dua/ |
| Hello | salam /salam/ | horas /horas/ | horas /horas/ | horas /horas/ | salam /salam/ | tabik /tabik/ | salama' ma'ondong /salamaʔ maʔondoŋ/ |
| Thank you | berejen /bərədʒən/ | mauliate /mauliate/ | diatebei /diatebei/ | mauliate /mauliate/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ | kuru' sumanga' /kuɾuʔ sumaŋaʔ/ |
| Good | jeroh /dʒeɾoh/ | denggan /deŋɡan/ | dear /dear/ | denggan /deŋɡan/ | manah /manah/ | hayep /hajep/ | macoa /matʃoa/ |
| Computer | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ |
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