Page Type: languageBatak Karo | Ethnologue

BTX ISO 639-3

Batak Karo

cakap Karo Autonym

A language of Indonesia

ISO 639
btx
Alternate Names
Karo Batak, kalak Karo
Autonym
cakap Karo
Population
600,000 (1991 UBS).
Location:
Aceh province: Aceh Selatan, Aceh Singli, Aceh Tenggara, and Kota Subulussalam regencies; North Sumatra province: Dairi, Deli Serdang, Karo, and Langkat regencies; Tapanuli Tengah regency, south small border area.
Language Status
6b (Threatened).
Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Northwest Sumatra-Barrier Islands, Batak, Northern
Dialects
Lexical similarity: 81% with Batak Dairi [btd] (Pakpak dialect), 80% with Batak Similungun [bts], and 76% with Batak Alas-Kluet [btz] (Alas dialect) (Woollams 2005).
Typology
SVO; prepositions; noun head initial, except for quantifiers; actor-voice and undergoer-voice; causatives; 17 consonants and 7 vowels; stress on penultimate syllable; inclusive/exclusive pronouns.
Language Use
Mixed use: Home, Community, Work, Religion. Some young people, all adults. Also use Indonesian [ind], some youth are shifting, especially in urban and migrant areas.
Language Development
Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1987–1995.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Batak Karo
Writing
Batak script [Batk]. Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments
Christian, traditional religion.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Aceh province: Aceh Selatan, Aceh Singli, Aceh Tenggara, and Kota Subulussalam regencies; North Sumatra province: Dairi, Deli Serdang, Karo, and Langkat regencies; Tapanuli Tengah regency, south small border area.