Tukang Besi is a member of the Celebic branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language family. It is spoken by about 200,000 people mainly in the Tukangbesi Islands in Wakatobi district of Southeast Sulawesi Province in central Indonesia. There are also speakers of Tukang Besi in other islands in Sulawesi, and in other parts of Indonesia, including Maluku, Nusa Tenggara and Irian Jaya, and in Singapore.
Tukang Besi is spoken by people of all ages in the Tukangbesi Islands. Elsewhere it is spoken by adults, however younger people are shifting to Indonesian or Malay.
Tukang Besi is also known as Kaumbeda. The name tukang besi means 'blacksmith' in Malay. Speakers of the language have various names for it, including Wakatobi, Bahasa Pulo, Pagau Ka'umbeda, Pagau Wanse, Pogau Kahedupa, Pogau Tomia, Pogau Binongko and Pogau Daoa. Each of these refers to a variety of the language spoken on particular islands, while the Pogau Daoa is the name for the variety used by speakers of different dialects when trading with eachother.
Download an alphabet chart for Tukang Besi (Excel)
Information about Tukang Besi | Numbers
Information about Tukang Besi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tukang_Besi_language
https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahasa_Tukang_Besi
https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/136142
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/khc
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bhq
Balantak, Bungku, Cia-Cia, Kodeoha, Kulisusu, Mori Atas, Mori Bawah, Moronene, Muna, Tajio, Tolaki, Tukang Besi, Wolio
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page created: 15.10.21. Last modified: 08.11.23
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