The Bidayuh Language Yesterday, Today and ... - SIL International

Introduction to Parts II and III
Overview
Bidayuh is the name of a grouping of dialects/languages 1 that forms a sub-section of the Land
Dayak group, which is ultimately a part of the great Austronesian language family.
The many varieties of Bidayuh are spoken primarily in the Malaysian state of Sarawak in the
districts of Serian, Kuching, Bau and Lundu. The variety called Rara, also spoken in Lundu
District, is commonly regarded as Bidayuh as well. However, at least some speakers of Rara call
themselves Bakati’, and this term appears to be in common use for dialects related to Rara that are
spoken in West Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Although the present homelands of the Bidayuh-speaking peoples are principally in western
Sarawak, some Bidayuhs as well as speakers of rather closely related languages are found in the
interior of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan. It is understood by the Bidayuh people
themselves that at an earlier period of their history all of them lived in areas that are now part of
West Kalimantan. Of course, Bidayuhs have now lived in Sarawak for many generations.
It should be noted that Salako is not directly included in this study. The Salako-speaking people
have shared much cultural history with the Bidayuh-speaking people in the past as well as today,
especially with the Rara-speaking people. In the socio-political context of modern Sarawak the
Salako people form a part of the Bidayuh cultural group. This cultural contact has resulted in some
common vocabulary and some similar phonetic features. Nevertheless, the Salako language is a
part of the Malayic group of languages 2 and has been found to be closer linguistically to Iban and
Malay than it is to Bidayuh and Bakati’. Of course, all of these languages ultimately form a part of
the large Austronesian language family.
Approximately 25 Bidayuh dialects have been included in this study in addition to Rara and
other varieties of Bakati’ as well as Kembayan, Ribun and Semandang, spoken farther south in
West Kalimantan. These Bidayuh dialects are Singai, Gumbang, Jagoi (Serambu/Birois, Bratak,
Serasot, Grogo, Stass), Biatah, Penrissen (Bistaang, Benuk), Lower Padawan (Sapug, Pinyawa’,
Bengoh), Upper Padawan (Anah Rais, Biya), Sembaan, Tringgus Raya, Tringgus Bireng, Bukar,
Sadung (Sadung/Tebedu, Bibengih/Kedup, Tebakang, Bukar-Sadung, Sangking, Bunan).
Sources of Data
This study is based on a corpus of vocabulary items drawn from several sources. The major
source is a wordlist collected by Carolyn Rensch, Calvin Rensch and Grace Tan for the Bidayuh
1
This study does not make a systematic attempt to distinguish between the terms “dialect” and “language”.
The varieties of Bidayuh are traditionally called dialects, and that is the term commonly used in this study.
Using the criterion of intelligibility, one might consider that the Bidayuh dialect network includes four
languages, but that figure would vary depending on the threshold of intelligibility that is applied. For further
consideration of dialect differences and similarities, see Studies in the early Bidayuh language, sec. 2.4.
2
Hudson (1970:301-2) also points out some cultural features which distinguish the Salako from the Land
Dayak peoples. Cf. also Adelaar (1992:381-2)
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