Fataluku (also known as Dagaga, Dagoda', Dagada) is a Papuan language spoken by approximately 37,000 people of Fataluku ethnicity in the eastern areas of East Timor, especially around Lospalos. It is a member of the Timor-Alor-Pantar language family, which includes languages spoken both in East Timor and nearby regions of Indonesia. Fataluku's closest relative is Oirata, spoken on Kisar island, in the Moluccas of Indonesia. Fataluku is given the status of a national language under the constitution. Speakers of Fataluku normally have a command of Tetum and/or Indonesian, those speakers who are educated under Portuguese rule or from younger generation educated under Portuguese-language educational system during independence speak Portuguese.
It has a considerable number of Austronesian loanwords, and it has borrowed elements of Sanskrit and Arabic vocabulary via Malay and elements of Portuguese.
The five main Fataluku dialects are identified as follows: East Fataluku, South Fataluku, Central Fataluku, North Fataluku and Northwest Fataluku. The differences that exist between these dialects, especially beyond phonology, are unclear and require more research. Dialects differ with respect to the phonetic realization of palatal obstruents, the presence of a glottal stop phoneme and a voicing distinction in stops, as well as aspects of the stress system.
Phonology
Vowels
Consonants
Words and phrases
In the examples below, the letter 'c' and the letter combination 'tx' are pronounced as the 'ch' in the English word 'church'.
Rau ana kapare? / e nicha rau rau / maice ana umpe? "how are you?" Rau "good" Kapare "not good" Hó "yes" Xaparau "thank you" Tali even xaparau "thank you very much" nitawane "you're welcome" Favoruni "please" itu nae tini "excuse me" Ó lai'i "hello" mua toto, ia toto,purupale " take care" Kois ta niat ali fanuhene "see you later" Pronoun Possessive pronoun I : Aniri/Ana My: Ahani You : Eri (singular), Iri (plural) Your: Eheni(sing), Eheniere (plur) We : Iniri (excl), Afiri (inclusive) Our: Inihini (exc), Afihini: (incl) They : Tawari, Márafuri Their: Their Tavarhini, Marafurhini He/She : Tavai, marí, mármocoi His/Her: Tavahini, Marmokoihini It : Iví Its: Ivihini, Tavahini
See also
- Rusenu language
- Languages of East Timor
Notes
Further reading
References
External links
- Fataluku Language Project
- Fataluku language website
- Fataluku community and language with Fataluku/English and English/Fataluku wordlists
- Fataluku wordlist at the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database
- Materials on Fataluku are included in the open access Arthur Capell collection. (AC2) held by Paradisec.
- Songs in Fataluku are included in the Ros Dunlop collection held by Paradisec.
- The UCLA Library Modern Endangered Archives Program collection of Fataluku Language and Culture
