|
|
| First name |
João
|
| Your
last name |
Sarmento |
| Preferred
name(s) of your language |
Makasae |
| Alternative
names |
Makassai,
Macassai, Ma'asae, Makasai |
| Language
classification |
Trans-New Guinea, South Bird's
Head-Timor-Alor-Pantar, Timor-Alor-Pantar, Makasai-Alor-Pantar, Makasai
(ethnologue 2005)
|
| Geographic
areas where spoken |
It
is spoken in the eastern part of East Timor, particularly in Baukau and
Vikeke districts and spoken also in certain subdisticts of Lauten,
where Fataluku is dominant. |
| Approximate
number of monolingual speakers |
Ethnologue (2005) documents that there are 70,000
speakers. However, Makasae is the second largest indigenous
language spoken after Mambae in that the number of speakers are
more than this figure. It is estimated that the language is
spoken by approximately 250,000 people.
|
| Approximate
number of fluent speakers |
There
is no linguistic census to gather data concerning the fluent speakers
of Makasae. However, as there is negative attitude toward the
language among young generation, it is believed that most of the fluent
speakers are people in rural areas and older generation.
Conservatively speaking, it is about 200,000 people are still
fluent in it. |
| Other
languages spoken in area/country |
Kairui, Tetun (including Tetun Terik) and Naueti.
There are also different dialects of Makasae spoken.
|
| Do
the representatives of neighboring ethnic groups learn to speak your
language? |
Yes.
|
| If
you answered yes to the above question, please specify |
Makasae
is a major language in the eastern part of Timor-Leste. Some
neighboring ethnic groups learn the language in order to communicate
with Makasae speakers. |
| Does
you language have a widely accepted writing system? |
No.
|
