jaku Iban
Iban
Austronesian (Malayic)
Iban (Jaku Iban) is the principal language of Sarawak's indigenous population, with ~1.5M speakers in Malaysian Sarawak, Indonesian West Kalimantan, and Brunei. Part of the Malayic branch of Austronesian, closely related to Malay/Indonesian — the two are partially mutually intelligible. The Iban (formerly called "Sea Dayaks") were historically the largest Bornean indigenous group and are known for traditional longhouse architecture. The Dunging Iban script was invented in 1947 by Dunging anak Gunggu, a 70-character syllabary still occasionally used for cultural purposes. Recognized as a regional language of Sarawak. Today predominantly written in Latin script.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Iban
Water
ai
/ai/
Fire
api
/api/
Sun
mata-ari
/mataari/
Moon
bulan
/bulan/
Star
bintang
/bintaŋ/
Mother
indai
/indai/
Father
apai
/apai/
I
aku
/aku/
You
nuan
/nuan/
Name
nama
/nama/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hand
jari
/dʒari/
Heart
ati
/ati/
Love
rinduai
/rinduai/
Tree
kayu
/kaju/
House
rumah
/rumah/
Dog
ukui
/ukui/
Cat
mayau
/majau/
Eat
makai
/makai/
Drink
ngirup
/ŋirup/
One
satu
/satu/
Two
dua
/dua/
Hello
salam
/salam/
Thank you
terima kasih
/terima kasih/
Good
manah
/manah/
Cuckoo
bubut
/ˈbubut/
Computer
komputer
/komˈputər/
Sushi
sushi
/ˈsuʃi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Malayic) languages
| Meaning | Iban | Banjar | Musi | Minangkabau | Malay | North Moluccan Malay | Ambon Malay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ai /ai/ | banyu /baɲu/ | ayek /ajek/ | aia /aia/ | air /ˈa.ir/ | aer /aer/ | aer /aer/ |
| Fire | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | mata-ari /mataari/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ | matoari /matoaɾi/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ | mata hari /mata hari/ |
| Moon | bulan /bulan/ | 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 | indai /indai/ | uma /uma/ | mak /mak/ | amak /amaʔ/ | ibu /ibu/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | apai /apai/ | abah /abah/ | bapak /bapak/ | abak /abaʔ/ | ayah /ajah/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ |
| I | aku /aku/ | aku /aku/ | aku /aku/ | ambo /ambo/ | saya /saja/ | kita /kita/ | beta /beta/ |
| You | nuan /nuan/ | ikam /ikam/ | kau /kau/ | ang /aŋ/ | awak /awaʔ/ | ngana /ŋana/ | ose /ose/ |
| Name | nama /nama/ | ngaran /ŋaran/ | namo /namo/ | namo /namo/ | nama /nama/ | nama /nama/ | nama /nama/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mato /mato/ | mato /mato/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | jari /dʒari/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangang /taŋaŋ/ | tangang /taŋaŋ/ |
| Heart | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ | ati /ati/ | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ |
| Love | rinduai /rinduai/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | cinto /tʃinto/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ |
| Tree | kayu /kaju/ | batang /bataŋ/ | kayu /kaju/ | kayu /kaju/ | pokok /pokoʔ/ | pohong /pohoŋ/ | pohon /pohon/ |
| House | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /ɾumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | ruma /ruma/ | ruma /ruma/ |
| Dog | ukui /ukui/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjiang /aɲdʒiaŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | mayau /majau/ | pusa /pusa/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kuciang /kutʃiaŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | ikung /ikuŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Eat | makai /makai/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | makang /makaŋ/ | makang /makaŋ/ |
| Drink | ngirup /ŋirup/ | nginum /ŋinum/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | minong /minoŋ/ | minong /minoŋ/ |
| One | satu /satu/ | asa /asa/ | siko /siko/ | ciek /tʃieʔ/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ |
| Two | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ | duo /duo/ | duo /duo/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ | dua /dua/ |
| Hello | salam /salam/ | salam /salam/ | halo /halo/ | salam /salam/ | hai /hai/ | cerang /tʃeraŋ/ | hela /hela/ |
| Thank you | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ | terimo kasih /terimo kasih/ | tarimo kasiah /taɾimo kasiah/ | terima kasih /tərima kasih/ | tarima kase /tarima kase/ | tarima kase /tarima kase/ |
| Good | manah /manah/ | bagus /baɡus/ | bagus /baɡus/ | rancak /ɾantʃaʔ/ | baik /baiʔ/ | bae /bae/ | bagus /baɡus/ |
| Cuckoo | bubut /ˈbubut/ | bubut /ˈbubut/ | — | — | sewah /ˈsewah/ | — | — |
| Computer | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /kɔmˈpu.tə(r)/ | komputer /komˈputər/ | komputer /komˈputər/ |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | susyi /suʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ |
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