Ternate - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

TERNATE 137
THE TERNATESE LANGUAGE
[p. 191]
I
INTRODUCTION
One can say that the Ternatese language is, in a narrow sense, the lingua franca of
the Moluccan archipelago, since the original language of the Ternatese on Ternate is
understood by almost all the subjects of the Sultan in the coastal villages of his extensive
territory. It is generally used by traders in their dealings with the population and is often
preferred to their own language by those Alfurus who have embraced Islam. 1
The reason for this dominance of the Ternatese language is that for many years
senior and junior ranked officials, together with their adherents and soldiers, would be sent
from Ternate to various places to preserve the authority of the Sultan. They would remain
there for several years or might marry and settle there permanently. As representatives of
the royal person in power, they were too proud to learn the local language and demanded
instead that those who wanted to make a request or inquiry do so in the Ternatese
language. In addition, when inhabitants of the islands were summoned to the capital, they
often had to stay in completely Ternatese surroundings for a prolonged period, since the
native antipathy to making a quick conclusion to business would prevent them from
returning to their islands. [p. 192] Another contributing factor was that if an inhabitant
desired an appointment to some lucrative post, when making his application he would have
to pay homage to the ruler in that ruler’s own language.
Because of the many similarities between the Ternatese language and local
languages or dialects, and as the language of the dominant race in the western half of the
residency of Ternate, it was natural and indeed almost inevitable that it should spread
more widely than did Tidorese or the Bacan language. Ternatese has managed to maintain
its position as a general means of communication up to the present time. 2
It is understandable that the language did not develop further when the majority of
the population in the coastal areas came into contact with foreigners; but it is completely
untrue to claim, as did van der Crab (1862, p. 310), that at the Ternatese court Malay is
spoken, mixed with words of Low German, Spanish, and other origins. 3 De Hollander
1 [p.191, n. 1] Many examples of this can be found in the Aanteekeningen op een Reis naar
Halmahera (Notes on a Journey to Halmahera), pp. 216 ff., where the quoted sentences, however
poorly understood and full of printing mistakes, are all pure Ternatese. The anonymous writer was
unable to check this because of his unfamiliarity with the language⎯this is apparent from what he
writes on p. 219.
2 [p. 192, n. 1] The language of Bacan is restricted to that island and is spoken by fifteen
hundred people at the most. This Sultanate never ruled in more distant areas.
3 [p. 192, n. 2] Valentijn 1724, Ib:130, says: “The Ternatese language is very grandiloquent
and in solemnity and sound is close to Spanish. Out of pride, and to show that they are not under
any domination, they will use only their own language in their writings and no other.” Actually this
is a rather strange way to reproach someone for preferring his own mother tongue.
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