Kupang Malay

Kupang Malay
Melayu Kupang
Native toIndonesia
RegionKupang, West Timor
Native speakers
L1: 200,000 (2015)[1]
L2: 150,000 (2015)[1]
Malay-based creole
  • Eastern Indonesian Malay
    • Kupang Malay
Language codes
ISO 639-3mkn
Glottologkupa1239

Kupang Malay or simply the Kupang language is a Malay-based creole language spoken in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, which is on the west end of Timor Island. Kupang Malay is presently used as a lingua franca for inter-ethnic communication, and it also has native speakers.[2]

It is based on archaic Malay mixed mostly with Dutch, Portuguese, and other local languages. It is similar to Ambonese Malay with several differences in vocabulary and accent. Its grammatical system resembles other Eastern Indonesian Malay creoles.

Kupang Malay originated sometime before the 17th century.[3] Kupang Malay has Rotinese influence.[4]

  1. ^ a b Kupang Malay at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024) Closed access icon
  2. ^ Jacob, June; Grimes, Barbara Dix (2006). "Developing a role for Kupang Malay: the contemporary politics of an eastern Indonesian creole". Paper Presented by June Jacob at the Tenth International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics Held in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines.
  3. ^ Paauw, Scott H. (2009). The Malay contact varieties of Eastern Indonesia: A typological comparison. State University of New York at Buffalo.
  4. ^ Steinhauer, Hein (1983). "Notes on the Malay of Kupang (Timor)" (PDF). Studies in Malay dialects: 42-64.