Serua language explained

Serua
States:Indonesia
Region:Seram Island
Extinct:?
Ref:e17
Familycolor:Austronesian
Fam2:Malayo-Polynesian
Fam3:Central–Eastern
Fam4:Timoric
Fam5:Southwest Maluku
Fam6:Teun–Nila–Serua
Iso3:srw
Linglist:srw.html
Glotto:seru1245
Glottorefname:Serua

Serua is an almost extinct Austronesian language originally spoken on Serua Island in Maluku, Indonesia. Speakers were relocated to Seram due to volcanic activity on Serua. The language continues in communities in Waipia in Seram, where the islanders were resettled, along with those also from Nila and Teun. Here, the older generation retain the island language as a strong form of identity.

At the end of WWII, many Seruans were relocated to the Netherlands. Having fought on the side of the Dutch during Indonesian independence, they became part of the KNIL resettlement. The TNS (Teun Nila Serua) groups maintain an island community in the Netherlands, but the language is not maintained.

Phrases

Noko may – 'How are you?'

Mel melleh taroʼoh – 'I am well'

Kupna – 'Money'

Kupna tell tella waitna – 'I have no money'

Wauka – 'whisper'

Ternosri. Am salalu metoranowa – 'Farewell till later, I will always wait for you.'

A song of heave-ho to accompany pulling boats to shore: Wauka, wauke; Tiki lowati, Sapi lowati; Timore; Timotei; Wateo[1]

Further reading

M. A. Chlenov and Chlenova, Svetlana. 2000. Serua, a vanishing language in Eastern Indonesia. In Nataliya F. Alieva (ed.), Malaysko-indoneziyskiye issledovaniya, XVI, 265-299. Moscow.

Notes and References

  1. Taber . Mark . 1993 . Toward a better understanding of the Indigenous Languages of Southwestern Maluku . Oceanic Linguistics . 32 . 2 . 389–441 . 3623199.