Page Type: languageTernate | Ethnologue

TFT ISO 639-3

Ternate

A language of Indonesia

ISO 639
tft
Population
62,000, all users. L1 users: 42,000 (Wurm and Hattori 1981). L2 users: 20,000.
Location:
North Maluku province: Kota Ternate regency, Hiri and Ternate islands; Halmahera Selatan regency, islands between Bacan and Kasiruta islands; Halmahera island southeast of Gane bay; Damar and Yoronga islands.
Language Status
6b* (Threatened).
Classification
West Papuan, North Halmahera, Ternate-Tidore
Dialects
None known. Reportedly similar to Tidore [tvo].
Language Use
Former trade language, now shifting to North Moluccan Malay [max]; weaker in core area, stronger in periphery (2012 J. Bowden). Also use Indonesian [ind]. Used as L2 by Sawai [szw].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%.
Other Comments
Muslim.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: North Maluku province: Kota Ternate regency, Hiri and Ternate islands; Halmahera Selatan regency, islands between Bacan and Kasiruta islands; Halmahera island southeast of Gane bay; Damar and Yoronga islands.