Achehnese
Language Information
Achehnese is spoken in Northern Sumatra, where Banda Aceh was once the capital of an Independent Muslim Kongdom The closest relatives of Achehnese - far closer than the closer languages of the big Island of Sumatra - are the Austronesian Languages Vietnam, notably Cham,which was also once the 'national' language of an independent kingdom.
Achehnese also has borrowing from Sanskrit., some of them shared with Cham, Khmer, and Mon. There are Malay loanwords too. Dutch language of the former colonial power, has influenced modern Achehnese heavily. Formerly written in Arabic script, Achehnese now has a standard orthography in the Latin alphabet.
- Language Family
- Malayo-Polynesian (Austronesian)
- Subgroup
- Indonesian
Achehnese Language Sample
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1
Aceh
Bandum manusia lahee bebah merdeka deungon hak ngon martabat nyang sama. Ngon akai taseumikee, ngon atee tameurasa bandum geutanyoe lagee syedara.English translation
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.
Source: OHCHR translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights