Toraja-Saʼdan language explained

Toraja-Sadan
Nativename:Sadan
States:Indonesia
Region:Sulawesi
Speakers:750,000
Date:2000 census
Ref:e18
Script:Latin
Familycolor:Austronesian
Fam2:Malayo-Polynesian
Fam3:South Sulawesi
Fam4:Northern
Fam5:Toraja
Dia1:Makale
Dia2:Rantepao
Dia3:West Toraja
Iso3:sda
Glotto:tora1261
Glottorefname:Toraja-Sa'dan

Toraja-Sadan (also Toraja, Sadan, South Toraja) is an Austronesian language spoken in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It shares the name Tae with East Toraja. Most of the Toraja language mapping was done by Dutch missionaries working in Sulawesi, such as Nicolaus Adriani and Hendrik van der Veen.

Phonology

Vowels!!Front!Central!Back
Closepronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Midpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Openpronounced as /ink/
!Labial!Alveolar!Palatal!Velar!Glottal
Nasalpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Plosive/
Affricate
voicelesspronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/(pronounced as /ink/)pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
voicedpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/(pronounced as /ink/)pronounced as /ink/
Fricativepronounced as /ink/(pronounced as /ink/)
Rhoticpronounced as /ink/
Lateralpronounced as /ink/
Approximantpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Sounds [tʃ, dʒ] are heard from Indonesian loanwords. /h/ only rarely occurs.

In final position, only pronounced as //n//, pronounced as //ŋ//, pronounced as //k// and pronounced as //ʔ// can occur.[1]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Book: Sande . J. S. . Miscellaneous Studies in Indonesian and Languages in Indonesia, Part IV . Stokhof . W. A. L. . 1977 . Badan Penyelenggara Seri NUSA . Ignatius Suharno . NUSA 5 . Jakarta . 19–34 . On the Phonology of the Toraja Kesuʔ Dialect . http://sealang.net/archives/nusa/pdf/nusa-v5-p19-34.pdf.