Page Type: languageNgaju | Ethnologue

NIJ ISO 639-3

Ngaju

Ngaju Autonym

A language of Indonesia

ISO 639
nij
Alternate Names
Biadju, Dayak Ngaju, Ngadju, Ngaja, Ngaju Dayak, Southwest Barito
Autonym
Ngaju
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 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 in primary schools. Taught as a subject in Palangkaraya since 1988 (Masinambow and Haenen 2002). Dictionary. Bible: 1858–2005.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Ngaju
Writing
Latin script [Latn].

Also Spoken in

Map

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