Li Niha
Nias
Austronesian
Nias (Li Niha, "language of Niha [the people]") is the principal Austronesian language of Nias Island, an offshore island in the Indian Ocean off the western coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. The Nias people are famous for their megalithic stone-jumping warrior culture (hombo batu — leaping over stone columns), traditional Omo Hada dome-shaped chiefly houses, and the Nias festival of Faulokho. Linguistically, Nias has Sundic Austronesian features: voice/focus alternations, classifier-like noun particles, and a rich pronoun system. Two main dialect groups exist: Northern Nias (Niha Bawöra) and Southern Nias (Niha Maenamölö), with Brown's 2001 grammar focused on Southern.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Nias
Water
idanö
/idanø/
Fire
galu
/ɡalu/
Sun
luo
/luo/
Moon
mboro
/mboɾo/
Mother
inada
/inada/
Father
amada
/amada/
Eat
manga
/maŋa/
Drink
banua
/banua/
Love
fauma
/fauma/
Heart
tödö
/tødø/
Tree
eu
/eu/
House
omo
/omo/
Dog
asu
/asu/
Cat
mao
/mao/
Hand
tanga
/taŋa/
Eye
hörö
/høɾø/
Hello
ya'ahowu
/jaʔahowu/
Thank you
saohagölö
/saohaɡølø/
One
sara
/saɾa/
Good
sökhi
/søkʰi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian languages
| Meaning | Nias | Batak Angkola | Gayo | Mandar | Old Javanese (Kawi) | Javanese | Toba Batak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | idanö /idanø/ | aek /aek/ | weih /weih/ | uai /uai/ | ꦮꦫꦶꦃ /warih/ | banyu /banju/ | aek /aek/ |
| Fire | galu /ɡalu/ | api /api/ | rara /ɾaɾa/ | api /api/ | ꦄꦒ꧀ꦤꦶ /aɡni/ | geni /ɡəni/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | luo /luo/ | ari /ari/ | matacana /matatʃana/ | mata allo /mata alːo/ | ꦱꦸꦂꦪ /suɾja/ | srengéngé /srəŋeŋe/ | mata ni ari /mata ni ari/ |
| Moon | mboro /mboɾo/ | bulan /bulan/ | lao /lao/ | bulang /bulaŋ/ | ꦕꦤ꧀ꦢꦿ /tʃandra/ | bulan /bulan/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Mother | inada /inada/ | inang /inaŋ/ | ine /ine/ | indo /indo/ | ꦆꦧꦸ /ibu/ | ibu /ibu/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | amada /amada/ | amang /amaŋ/ | ama /ama/ | ama /ama/ | ꦫꦩ /rama/ | bapak /bapak/ | ama /ama/ |
| Eat | manga /maŋa/ | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | ma'ande /maʔande/ | ꦄꦩꦔꦤ꧀ /amaŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ | mangan /maŋan/ |
| Drink | banua /banua/ | minum /minum/ | minum /minum/ | minung /minuŋ/ | ꦄꦩꦶꦤꦸꦩ꧀ /aminum/ | ngombe /ŋombe/ | minum /minum/ |
| Love | fauma /fauma/ | holong /holoŋ/ | kunyung /kuɲuŋ/ | mappinawa /mapːinawa/ | ꦱꦶꦃ /sih/ | tresna /trɛsna/ | holong /holoŋ/ |
| Heart | tödö /tødø/ | roha /roha/ | ate /ate/ | ate /ate/ | ꦲꦠꦶ /hati/ | ati /ati/ | roha /roha/ |
| Tree | eu /eu/ | hayu /haju/ | kayu /kaju/ | kaju /kaju/ | ꦏꦪꦸ /kaju/ | wit /wit/ | hau /hau/ |
| House | omo /omo/ | bagas /baɡas/ | umah /umah/ | boyang /bojaŋ/ | ꦈꦩꦃ /umah/ | omah /omah/ | jabu /dʒabu/ |
| Dog | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | ꦄꦱꦸ /asu/ | asu /asu/ | biang /biaŋ/ |
| Cat | mao /mao/ | huting /hutiŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | mio /mio/ | ꦩꦺꦴꦁ /moŋ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | huting /hutiŋ/ |
| Hand | tanga /taŋa/ | tangan /taŋan/ | pumu /pumu/ | lima /lima/ | ꦠꦔꦤ꧀ /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ | tangan /taŋan/ |
| Eye | hörö /høɾø/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | ꦩꦠ /mata/ | mripat /mripat/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | ya'ahowu /jaʔahowu/ | horas /horas/ | salam /salam/ | salama' ma'ondong /salamaʔ maʔondoŋ/ | ꦫꦲꦪꦸ /rahaju/ | halo /halo/ | horas /horas/ |
| Thank you | saohagölö /saohaɡølø/ | mauliate /mauliate/ | matur sangat /matuɾ saŋat/ | kuru' sumanga' /kuɾuʔ sumaŋaʔ/ | ꦤꦸꦮꦸꦤ꧀ /nuwun/ | matur nuwun /matur nuwun/ | mauliate /mauliate/ |
| One | sara /saɾa/ | sada /sada/ | sara /saɾa/ | mesa /mesa/ | ꦌꦏ /eka/ | siji /sidʒi/ | sada /sada/ |
| Good | sökhi /søkʰi/ | denggan /deŋːan/ | jeroh /dʒeɾoh/ | macoa /matʃoa/ | ꦲꦪꦸ /haju/ | apik /apik/ | denggan /deŋɡan/ |
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