Dusun language

Central Dusun
Boros Dusun
Bunduliwan
Native toMalaysia, Brunei
RegionSabah, Labuan
EthnicityDusun people, Kadazan people
Native speakers
(140,000 Central Dusun cited 1991)[1]
100,000 ethnic population other dialects (1981–2000)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3dtp
Glottologcent2100

Central Dusun, also known as Bunduliwan (Dusun: Boros Dusun), is one of the more widespread languages spoken by the Dusun (including Kadazan) peoples of Sabah, Malaysia.

Kadazandusun language standardisation

What is termed as "Central Dusun" (or simply, "Dusun") and "Coastal Kadazan" (or simply, "Kadazan") are deemed to be highly mutually intelligible to one other; many consider these to be part of a single language.

Under the efforts of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association Sabah, in 1995, the central Bundu-Liwan dialect was selected to serve as the basis for a standardised "Kadazandusun" language.[2][3] This dialect, spoken in the Bundu and Liwan valleys of the Crocker Range (now parts of the present-day districts of Ranau, Tambunan and Keningau), was selected as it was deemed to be the most mutually intelligible when conversing with other "Dusun" or "Kadazan" dialects.

Alphabet and pronunciation

Dusun is written using the Latin alphabet using 22 characters (the letters C, E, F, Q, and X are used in loanwords):

A B D G H I K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z

These characters together are called Pimato.

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ŋ
Plosive voiceless p t k ʔ
voiced b d ɡ
Fricative s h
Rhotic r
Lateral l
Approximant w j

Semivowels /w j/ and rhotic /r/ only occur in most of the other dialects of the Dusun/Kadazan languages. Forschner (1978) and Antonissen (1958) list two fricatives /v z/ for the Rungus and Penampang Kadazan dialects. [x] is also listed as an allophone of /k/ in word-medial position.[4]

Vowels

The vowels are divided into:

Simple vowels: /i u a o/

Diphthongs: aa ai (sometimes pronounced /e/) ii oi uu

Forschner (1978) notes for the Rungus dialect that the phoneme /e/ is a contraction of the diphthongs /ai/ or /oi/.

Some combinations of vowels do not form diphthongs and each vowel retains its separate sound: ao ia iu ui ue. In some words aa is not a diphthong, and this is indicated by an apostrophe between the two vowels: a’a.

Grammar

Personal pronouns

Personal pronouns in Dusun are determined by their use in the sentence. There are emphatic subject, non-emphatic subject, possessive and accusative. Dusun has separate words for inclusive and exclusive we, and distinguishes singular, dual, and plural.

English Dusun
Subject Possessive Accusative/Object
Emphatic Non-emphatic
I Yoku/Yoho Oku Ku Doho/Dogo
You Ika/Iya Ko Nu Dika/Diya
He/She/It Isio/Iyau Disio/Dau
We (exclusive) Yahai Dahai
We (two persons) Ikito Kito To' Ditto
We (inclusive) Itokou/Tokou Dotokou
You (plural) Ikoyu/Yokoyu Kou Dikoyu/Dokoyu
They Iyolo Diyolo/Diolo

Structure

The Dusun phrase structure follow a different pattern since the normal English subject-verb-object structure is non-existent in the Dusun construction. A typical Dusun sentence follows the verb-subject-object structure.

Examples
  • Dusun sentence: Monginum isio do montoku.
Direct English translation: Drink him rice wine.
English interpretation: He is drinking rice wine.
  • Dusun sentence: Nunu maan nu do suab?
Direct English translation: What do you tomorrow?
English interpretation: "What are you doing tomorrow?" or to a lesser extent, "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

Vocabulary

The following table is a comparison of lexical terms in English, Dusun and the Malay language.

Numbers
English Dusun Malay
zero aiso kosong/sifar
one iso satu
two duo dua
three tolu tiga
four apat empat
five limo lima
six onom enam
seven turu tujuh
eight walu lapan
nine siam sembilan
ten hopod sepuluh
eleven hopod om iso sebelas
twenty duo nohopod dua puluh
hundred hatus/sahatus ratus/seratus
two hundreds duo nahatus dua ratus
thousand ribu/soribu ribu/seribu
five thousands limo noribu lima ribu
million laksa/liong juta
billion bilion bilion

For example: tolu noribu duo nahatus walu nohopod om siam (3289)

Name of the Months
English Dusun
January Milatok
February Mansak
March Gomot
April Ngiop
May Mikat
June Mahas
July Madas
August Magus
September Manom
October Gumas
November Milau
December Momuhau

Day names

The names for the days of the week are mostly based on a simple numerical sequence, which is commonly used for media and newspapers. Sometimes Dusun names for the days come from the seven stages in the metamorphosis of butterfly, which is commonly taught in school syllabus and literature purpose.

English Dusun
Dusun name Numerical
Monday Tontolu Tadau koiso
Tuesday Mirod Tadau koduo
Wednesday Tadtaru Tadau kotolu
Thursday Kurudu Tadau kaapat
Friday Madsa Tadau kolimo
Saturday Kukuak Tadau koonom
Sunday Tiwang Tadau koturu/minggu

Interrogatives
English Dusun Malay
What? Onu/Nu/Nunu Apa
Who? Isai Siapa
Whose/Whom? Disai Siapa punya
Where? Hinonggo/Honggo Di mana
When? Soira Bila
Why? Nokuro Kenapa
How? Poingkuro Bagaimana
How many? Piro/Songkuro Berapa

Examples

Genesis 1:1-3

Ontok di timpuun ih, tuminimpuun o Kinorohingan do minomonsoi do libabou om pomogunan. Orolot iti pomogunan om inggaa suang, om pointuong nokulumutan di rahat topuhod. Mintulud sunduan do Kinorohingan do hiri id soibau di waig. Om pomoros nodi o Kinorohingan do, "Nawau no" ka. Om haro nodi o tanawau. Om asanangan tomod o Kinorohingan do nokokitoh diri. Pitongkiado no do Kinoingan ih tanawau do mantad hiri id totuong. Om pungaranai nodi do Kinorohingan do "dangadau" it anawau, om iri otuong nopo nga pinungaranan dau do "dongotuong". Haro di sosodopon, sinusuhut minsusuab – iri no o tadau kumoiso.

Translation

In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep water. The spirit of God was hovering over the water. Then God said, "Let there be light!" So there was light. God saw the light was good. So God separated the light from the darkness. God named the light "day", and the darkness he named "night". There was evening, then morning, the first day.

Austronesian languages comparison table

Below is a table of Dusun and other Austronesian languages comparing thirteen words.

English one two three four person house dog coconut day new we (inclusive) what fire
Dusun iso duo tolu apat tulun walai tasu piasau tadau wagu tokou onu/nu tapui
Kadazan iso duvo tohu apat tuhun hamin tasu piasau tadau vagu tokou onu tapui
Tombulu (Minahasa) esa zua (rua) telu epat tou walé asu po'po' endo weru kai, kita apa api
Tagalog isa dalawa tatlo apat tao bahay aso niyog araw bago tayo ano apoy
Central Bikol saro duwa tulo apat tawo harong ayam niyog aldaw ba-go kita ano kalayo
Rinconada Bikol əsad darwā tolō əpat tawō baləy ayam noyog aldəw bāgo kitā onō kalayō
Waray usa duha tulo upat tawo balay ayam/ido lubi adlaw bag-o kita anu kalayo
Cebuano usa/isa duha tulo upat tawo balay iro lubi adlaw bag-o kita unsa kalayo
Hiligaynon isa duha tatlo apat tawo balay ido lubi adlaw bag-o kita ano kalayo
Aklanon isaea, sambilog, uno daywa, dos tatlo, tres ap-at, kwatro tawo baeay ayam niyog adlaw bag-o kita ano kaeayo
Kinaray-a sara darwa tatlo apat tawo balay ayam niyog adlaw bag-o kita ano kalayo
Tausug hambuuk duwa tu upat tau bay iru' niyug adlaw ba-gu kitaniyu unu kayu
Maranao isa dowa t'lo phat taw walay aso neyog gawi'e bago tano tonaa apoy
Kapampangan metung adwa atlu apat tau bale asu ngungut aldo bayu ikatamu nanu api
Pangasinan sakey dua, duara talo, talora apat, apatira too abong aso niyog ageo balo sikatayo anto pool
Ilocano maysa dua tallo uppat tao balay aso niog aldaw baro datayo ania apoy
Ivatan asa dadowa tatdo apat tao vahay chito niyoy araw va-yo yaten ango apoy
Ibanag tadday dua tallu appa' tolay balay kitu niuk aggaw bagu sittam anni afi
Yogad tata addu tallu appat tolay binalay atu iyyog agaw bagu sikitam gani afuy
Gaddang antet addwa tallo appat tolay balay atu ayog aw bawu ikkanetam sanenay afuy
Tboli sotu lewu tlu fat tau gunu ohu lefo kdaw lomi tekuy tedu ofih
Malay
(incl. Malaysian and Indonesian)		 satu dua tiga empat orang rumah anjing, asu kelapa,
nyior (or nyiur)		 hari baru
baharu		 kita apa
anu		 api
Javanese siji loro telu papat uwong omah asu klapa/kambil hari anyar/enggal kita apa/anu geni
Acehnese sa duwa lhèë peuët ureuëng rumoh/balèë asèë u uroë barô (geu)tanyoë peuë apuy
Lampung sai khua telu pak jelema lamban asu nyiwi khani baru kham api apui
Buginese sedi dua tellu eppa tau bola asu kaluku esso baru idi' aga api
Toba Batak sada dua tolu opat halak jabu biang harambiri ari baru hita aha api
Tetum ida rua tolu haat ema uma asu nuu loron foun ita saida ahi
Samoan tasi lua tolu fa tagata fale taifau niu aso fou matou ā afi
Māori tahi rua toru wha tangata whare kuri kokonati ra hou taua aha ahi
Tuvaluan tasi lua tolu fá toko fale kuri moku aso fou tāua ā afi
Hawaiian kahi lua kolu hā kanaka hale 'īlio niu ao hou kākou aha ahi
Banjarese asa duwa talu ampat urang rūmah hadupan kǎlapa hǎri hanyar kita apa api
Malagasy isa roa telo efatra olona trano alika voanio andro vaovao isika inona afo
Iban satu dua tiga empat orang rumah asu nyur ari baru kitai nama api
Melanau satu dua telou empat apah lebok asou nyior lau baew teleu nama apui

References
  1. Central Dusun at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. "Official Language & Dialects". Kadazandusun Cultural Association Sabah. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  3. Lasimbang, Rita; Kinajil, Trixie (2004). "Building Terminology in the Kadazandusun Language". Current Issues in Language Planning. 5 (2): 131–141. doi:10.1080/13683500408668253.
  4. Miller, Carolyn (1993). "Kadazan/Dusun Phonology Revisited". In Boutin, Michael E.; Pekkanen, Inka (eds.). Phonological Descriptions of Sabah Languages: Studies from Ten Languages: Bonggi, Ida'an, Kadazan/Dusun, Kalabuan, Kimaragang, Labuk-Kinabatangan Kadazan, Lotud, Tagal, Tatana', Tombonuwo. Sabah Museum Monograph, Vol. 4. Kota Kinabalu: Sabah State Museum. pp. 1–14.
  • Tangit, Trixie M. (2005). Planning Kadazandusun (Sabah, Malaysia): labels, identity, and language (MA thesis). University of Hawaii at Manoa. hdl:10125/11691.
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