Ngaju

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A language of Indonesia

ISO 639-3
nij
Alternate Names
Biadju, Dayak Ngaju, Ngadju, Ngaja, Ngaju Dayak, Southwest Barito
Autonym
Ngaju
User Population

890,000 (2003).

Location

Central Kalimantan province: Gunung Mas, Kapuas, Katingan, Kota Palangkaraya, Kotawaringin Timur, and Pulang Pisau regencies; headwaters of Kahayan, Kapuas, Katingan, and Mentaya rivers.

Language Maps
Language Status

3 (Wider communication). Widely used as LWC for trade in much of Kalimantan, from Barito to Sampit rivers. Used in many domains (church, school, village-level government, market, etc.).

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Barito, West, South
Dialects

Ba’amang (Bara-Bare, Sampit), Katingan Ngaju, Katingan Ngawa, Kahayan, Kahayan Kapuas, Mantangai (Oloh Mangtangai), Pulopetak. Lexical similarity: 75% with Bakumpai [bkr], 62% with Kohin [kkx], 50% with Ot Danum [otd], 35% with Banjar [bjn].

Language Development

Taught as subject in primary schools in Palangkaraya since 1988 (Masinambow and Haenen 2002). Dictionary. Bible: 1858–2005.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Ngaju
Writing

Latin script [Latn].