kxd ISO 639
Brunei, Melayu Brunei, ملايو بروني (Melayu Brunei) Autonyms
Brunei
Visualizations
A language of Brunei
- ISO 639
- kxd
- Alternate Names
- Brunei-Kadayan, “Orang Bukit” (pej.)
- Autonym
- Brunei, Melayu Brunei, ملايو بروني (Melayu Brunei)
- Population
- 270,000 in Brunei (2019), increasing. Total users in all countries: 321,000.
- Location
- Widespread.
- Language Maps
- Brunei and Malaysia: Sarawak, Malaysia: Sabah
- Language Status
- 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. Originated and used as trade language in the archipelago of the Brunei sultanate centuries before British protectorate (1888–1984). Used as lingua franca between ethnic groups, widely used by young people.
- Classification
- Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Chamic, Malayic, Malay
- Dialects
- Brunei Malay, Kadayan (Kadaian, Kadian, Kadien, Kadyan, Karayan, Kedayan, Kedien, Kedyan, Kerayan), Kampong Ayer. Lexical similarity: 94%–95% between Brunei and the Kampong Ayer dialects, 80%–82% with Standard Malay [zsm]. A member of macrolanguage Malay [msa].
- Language Use
- Vigorous. Used in Bandar Seri Begawan and surrounding areas, and by young people and educated older people from different language or dialect backgrounds. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Standard Malay [zsm]. Used as L2 by Belait [beg], Brunei Bisaya [bsb], Central Melanau [mel].
- Language Development
- Literature. Periodicals. Radio. Videos. Dictionary.
- Writing
- Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Latin script [Latn].
- Other Comments
- Brunei and Kadayan are recognized indigenous groups. Muslim.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Brunei
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Sabah: Kota Kinabalu southwest to Labuan Federal Territory and Brunei border; Sarawak: north Lawas district; Batang Baram river mouth to Bintulu town.
- Dialects
- Brunei, Kadayan (Kadaian, Kadian, Kadien, Kadyan, Karayan, Kedayan, Kedien, Kedyan, Kerayan).
- Language Status
- 6b (Threatened)
- Language Use
- Mixed use: Home, Friends, Religion, Work. Some young people, all adults. Positive attitudes. Most also use Sabah Malay [msi]. Many also use Standard Malay [zsm]. Some also use Hakka Chinese [hak]. Some also use West Coast Bajau [bdr]. A few also use Tausug [tsg]. Also use Tatana [txx]. Used as L2 by Javanese [jav], Klias River Kadazan [kqt], Papar [dpp], Sabah Bisaya [bsy], Tatana [txx].
- Language Development
- Literacy rate in L1: 40%. Literacy rate in L2: 80% in Standard Malay [zsm]. Agency: Persatuan Masyarakat Brunei Sabah (Sabah Brunei Community Association).
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Regional, not ethnic, dialect variations. Muslim. View other languages of Malaysia
Language Name
Brunei
User Population
51,000 in Malaysia (2013 SIL), decreasing. 35,000 monolinguals (2015 S. Damit). Ethnic population: 350,000 (2014 census).
