Betawi is a Malay-based creole spoken in the Jakarta region of Indonesia by about 5 million people, according to the 2000 census. It contains vocabulary from Malay, Hokkien, Arabic, Portuguese and Dutch, and is also known as Betawi Malay, Jakartan Malay, Batavian, Batavian Malay, Melayu Betawi or Melayu Jakarte. The name Betawi comes from Batavia, the name for Jakarta during Dutch colonial times.
Betawi developed during the 19th century from a Malay-based creole spoken by the descendants of Balinese women and Chinese men in Batavia. It later borrowed from Javanese and Sundanese.
Dialects of Betawi include: Urban Jakartan dialect, Pebayuran dialect, Pasar Rebo dialect, Cengkareng-Grogol-Petamburan-Tanah Abang-Kebayoran dialect, Ciputat Dialect, Gunung Sindur dialect, and Mauk-Sepatan dialect.
Betawi is used in poetry, radio, films and TV, particularly for Jakarta TV soap operas. It is written with the Latin alphabet. The orthography shown below is used in dictionaries, linguistic books and other written material.
Download an alphabet chart for Betawi (Excel)
Semuè orang mah deri sononyè èmang padè diberocotin bèbas, ngelè argè diri amè hak nyang sembabad. Diè padè diangsrongin polo amè liangsim, mengkènyè udè kudunyè dèh padè rempug dalem sumanget sudaraan.
Semuah orang mah deri sononyah èmang pada diberocotin bèbas, gableg harga diri ama hak nyeng sembabad. Diah pada diangsrongin polo ama liangsim, mangkanyah udah kudunyah dah pada rempug dalem sumanget sudaraan.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Corrections and additions provided by Rafif
Information about Betawi | Numbers
Information about the Betawi languages
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betawi_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betawi_(langue)
http://www.eva.mpg.de/linguistics/past-research-resources/documentation-and-description/documentation-of-betawi.html
Betawi, Bislama, Cape Verdean Creole, Chavacano, Chinook Jargon, Dominican Creole French, Fanagalo, French Guianese Creole, Guadeloupean Creole, Guinea-Bissau Creole, Haitian Creole, Jamaican, Kituba, Manado Malay, Mauritian Creole, Nagamese, Ndyuka, Norfuk, Nubi, Palenquero, Papiamento, Pijin, Réunion Creole, Sango, Saramaccan, Seychelles Creole, Sierra Leonean Creole, Singlish, Sranan, Saint Lucian Creole, Tok Pisin, Torres-Strait Creole
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page last modified: 16.10.24
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