Bahasa Pasar Ternate
North Moluccan Malay
Austronesian
North Moluccan Malay (autonymously Bahasa Pasar Ternate, "the market language of Ternate") is a Malay-based contact variety of the Maluku archipelago, spoken as L1 by around 700,000 people and as L2 by approximately 1 million in the eastern Indonesian province of North Maluku. The language descends from the trade Malay used by Maluku spice traders and the Sultanate of Ternate (one of four major Maluku spice sultanates with Tidore, Bacan, and Jailolo) since at least the 14th century. The Sultanate of Ternate was a major regional power in the 16th century during the European spice trade, and its influence ensured Malay became the regional lingua franca, gradually replacing the indigenous Papuan-related Halmaheran languages (West Papuan family) and Austronesian Sahu-related languages. Today, North Moluccan Malay is the dominant lingua franca of all North Maluku, with active intergenerational transmission and a vibrant urban speech community.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in North Moluccan Malay
Water
aer
/aer/
Fire
api
/api/
Sun
matahari
/matahari/
Moon
bulan
/bulan/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
papa
/papa/
Eat
makang
/makaŋ/
Drink
minong
/minoŋ/
Love
cinta
/tʃinta/
Heart
hati
/hati/
Tree
pohong
/pohoŋ/
House
ruma
/ruma/
Dog
anjing
/andʒiŋ/
Cat
ikung
/ikuŋ/
Hand
tangang
/taŋaŋ/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hello
cerang
/tʃeraŋ/
Thank you
tarima kase
/tarima kase/
One
satu
/satu/
Good
bae
/bae/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian languages
| Meaning | North Moluccan Malay | Ambon Malay | Indonesian | Malay | Musi | Banjar | Patani Malay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aer /aer/ | aer /aer/ | air /ˈa.ir/ | air /ˈa.ir/ | ayek /ajek/ | banyu /baɲu/ | ayé /ajeʔ/ |
| Fire | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | matahari /matahari/ | mata hari /mata hari/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ | matahari /matahari/ | matari /mataʁe/ |
| Moon | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulé /buleʔ/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | ibu /ibu/ | ibu /ibu/ | mak /mak/ | uma /uma/ | emak /əmaʔ/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | ayah /ajah/ | ayah /ajah/ | bapak /bapak/ | abah /abah/ | aboh /aboh/ |
| Eat | makang /makaŋ/ | makang /makaŋ/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | makan /makan/ | makae /makajɛ/ |
| Drink | minong /minoŋ/ | minong /minoŋ/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | nginum /ŋinum/ | minon /minon/ |
| Love | cinta /tʃinta/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | cinta /tʃinta/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ | cinto /tʃinto/ |
| Heart | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ | hati /hati/ | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ |
| Tree | pohong /pohoŋ/ | pohon /pohon/ | pohon /pohon/ | pokok /pokoʔ/ | kayu /kaju/ | batang /bataŋ/ | pokok /pokoʔ/ |
| House | ruma /ruma/ | ruma /ruma/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumah /rumah/ | rumoh /rumoh/ |
| Dog | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ | anjeng /andʒeŋ/ |
| Cat | ikung /ikuŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | pusa /pusa/ | kuche /kutʃeʔ/ |
| Hand | tangang /taŋaŋ/ | tangang /taŋaŋ/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tagae /taŋajɛ/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mato /mato/ | mata /mata/ | mato /mato/ |
| Hello | cerang /tʃeraŋ/ | hela /hela/ | halo /ˈhalo/ | hai /hai/ | halo /halo/ | salam /salam/ | nyaman ka /ɲaman ka/ |
| Thank you | tarima kase /tarima kase/ | tarima kase /tarima kase/ | terima kasih /tərima kasih/ | terima kasih /tərima kasih/ | terimo kasih /terimo kasih/ | tarima kasih /tarima kasih/ | terimo kasih /tərimo kaseh/ |
| One | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ | satu /satu/ | siko /siko/ | asa /asa/ | satu /satu/ |
| Good | bae /bae/ | bagus /baɡus/ | baik /baiʔ/ | baik /baiʔ/ | bagus /baɡus/ | bagus /baɡus/ | baghuh /baɣuh/ |
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