Jamee Language
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The Jamee language (Jamee: ''Bahaso Jamu'', , ), also known as the Aneuk Jamee language, is a dialect of the
Minangkabau language Minangkabau (Minangkabau: , Jawi script: ; ) is an Austronesian language spoken by the Minangkabau of West Sumatra, the western part of Riau, South Aceh Regency, the northern part of Bengkulu and Jambi, also in several cities throughout Ind ...
that is predominantly spoken by the Aneuk Jamee people in
Aceh Aceh ( , ; , Jawi script, Jawoë: ; Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, Old Spelling: ''Atjeh'') is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the northern end of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capit ...
, Indonesia, who are descendants of
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to: * Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people * Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center * Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see bel ...
migrants who began migrating from present-day
West Sumatra West Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. West Sumatra borders the Indian Ocean to the west, as well as the provinces of ...
to Aceh in the
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, which over time have gradually assimilated into Acehnese society and culture. The Jamee language is primarily spoken along the southern and western coasts of Aceh, particularly in the coastal areas of South Aceh, Southwest Aceh, West Aceh, and Aceh Singkil Regency. Additionally, it is also spoken by Aneuk Jamee migrants in
Simeulue Simeulue is an island of Indonesia, off the west coast of Sumatra. It covers an area of 1,754 square kilometre (677 square miles), including minor offshore islands. It had a population of 80,674 at the 2010 census and 92,865 at the 2020 census ...
and the nearby islands, following the migration of these communities from mainland Aceh to the island. Today, most Aneuk Jamee people, particularly those residing in Acehnese-dominated areas like West Aceh Regency, are either bilingual or trilingual. In addition to their native tongue, they also commonly use Acehnese in their daily lives, alongside Indonesian. In contrast, in regions with a higher concentration of Aneuk Jamee populations, such as specific districts in South Aceh and Southwest Aceh Regencies, the Aneuk Jamee language is more widely used and remains an integral part of daily communication. The Jamee language has differed significantly from standard Minangkabau still spoken in West Sumatra, such as in
Bukittinggi Bukittinggi (, Jawi script, Jawi: , formerly ) is the third largest city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of 111,312 in 2010Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 121,028 in 2020.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. An official es ...
, in terms of phonology, lexicon, and morphology. Although Jamee is generally still considered a dialect of Minangkabau, it is no longer entirely the same language. Assimilation with local languages, such as Acehnese, has made the Jamee language diverged significantly from standard Minangkabau.


Classification

The Jamee language is a dialect of the
Minangkabau language Minangkabau (Minangkabau: , Jawi script: ; ) is an Austronesian language spoken by the Minangkabau of West Sumatra, the western part of Riau, South Aceh Regency, the northern part of Bengkulu and Jambi, also in several cities throughout Ind ...
, which is itself a
Malayic language The Malayic languages are a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian language family. The two most prominent members of this branch are Indonesian and Malay. Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia and has evolved ...
. Speakers of Malayic languages are spread from
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, Indonesia,
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,
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,
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, to the southernmost part of the
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. Malay is a member of the Austronesian family of languages, which includes languages from
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,
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, and the
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, with a smaller number in continental
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
. Malagasy, a geographic outlier spoken in
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in the
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, is also a member of this language family. Although these languages are not necessarily
mutually intelligible In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is a relationship between different but related language varieties in which speakers of the different varieties can readily understand each other without prior familiarity or special effort. Mutual intellig ...
to any extent, their similarities are often quite apparent. In more conservative languages like Malay, many roots have come with relatively little change from their common ancestor,
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. There are many
cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...
s found in the languages' words for kinship, health, body parts and common animals. Numbers, especially, show remarkable similarities. The Jamee language originated from the
Pariaman Pariaman ( Jawi: ), is a coastal city in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Pariaman covers an area of , with a coastline. It had a population of 79,043 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 94,224 at the 2020 census;Badan Pusat Statis ...
and Pasaman dialects of Minangkabau, brought to Aceh by migrants from these regions. While the Jamee language is considered as a dialect of Minangkabau, it has been extensively influenced by the
Acehnese language Acehnese (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language natively spoken by the Acehnese people in Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. This language is also spoken by Acehnese descendants in some parts of Malaysia like Yan, Ke ...
, especially the northern dialects. The heavy influence of the Acehnese language has caused the Jamee language to diverge significantly from standard Minangkabau spoken in
West Sumatra West Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. West Sumatra borders the Indian Ocean to the west, as well as the provinces of ...
.The differences between the Jamee language and standard Minangkabau lie in certain aspects of phonology, morphology, and lexicon. In terms of sentence structure, however, the two language variant do not have significant differences.


Geographical distribution and usage

The Jamee language is predominantly spoken along Aceh's southern coast, with smaller communities found along parts of the west coast. The Aneuk Jamee population is not concentrated in a single area but is dispersed across various districts in
South Aceh Regency South Aceh Regency (; ) is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra. The regency covers an area of 4,173.82 square kilometres and had a population of 202,251 at t ...
, including Labuhanhaji, Samadua, and Tapaktuan. In Aceh Singkil Regency, they are found in Singkil District, North Singkil District, and Pulau Banyak District. Additionally, in
Southwest Aceh Regency Southwest Aceh Regency () is a regency in the Aceh Province of Indonesia. The regency was created on 10 April 2002 from the northwestern districts of South Aceh Regency. It is located on the west side of the island of Sumatra. The regency covers ...
, they inhabit areas such as Lembah Sabil, Manggeng, Susoh, and Jeumpa. They also reside in Johan Pahlawan, Kaway XVI, and Kuala districts in West Aceh Regency. Most Aneuk Jamee communities are located in small coves along the southern coast of Aceh, nestled within a series of bays situated in the lowlands flanked by the
Bukit Barisan The Bukit Barisan or the Barisan Mountains are a mountain range on the western side of Sumatra, Indonesia, covering nearly 1,700 km (1,050 mi) from the north to the south of the island. The Bukit Barisan range consists primarily of volca ...
mountain range. The districts where the Aneuk Jamee reside are separated by areas inhabited by other ethnic groups, such as the Acehnese, Kluet, and other communities in South Aceh. The Jamee language is also spoken in
Simeulue Simeulue is an island of Indonesia, off the west coast of Sumatra. It covers an area of 1,754 square kilometre (677 square miles), including minor offshore islands. It had a population of 80,674 at the 2010 census and 92,865 at the 2020 census ...
, particularly in the town of
Sinabang Sinabang is a town on the east coast of Simeulue Island, which lies off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Sinabang is the administrative seat (capital) of the Simeulue Regency, in Aceh Province of Indonesia and has a population of approx ...
, where it serves as a ''
lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication (LWC), is a Natural language, language systematically used to make co ...
'' for market transactions and trade activities. In Southern Aceh, the Jamee language serves as the ''lingua franca'' among various ethnic groups, whereas in other regions of Aceh, this role is predominantly fulfilled by Acehnese. In
Singkil Singkil is a Maranao people, Maranao royal dance from the Philippines. The dance features a prince and a princess weaving in and out of crisscrossed bamboo poles clapped in syncopated rhythm. While the man manipulates a sword and shield, th ...
, Aceh Singkil Regency, Jamee is commonly used as the language of instruction in schools and for informal communication between students and teachers. In contrast, Indonesian is used in more formal settings. Additionally, the Jamee language is also used as a media of communication between peers, as a medium of conversation in coffee shops, for discussing local government matters, and during sale and purchase transactions in town. In the Banyak Islands, located off the coast of Aceh Singkil, many locals—particularly younger generations—are gradually shifting from speaking Haloban, a dialect of the
Simeulue language The Simeulue language is spoken by the Simeulue people of Simeulue off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Names ''Simeulue'' is also called , which literally means 'Where are you going?'. Ethnologue also lists ''Long Bano'', ''Simalur'', ...
, to Jamee or Indonesian.


Dialects

The Jamee language comprises several dialects, with the most prominent being Labuhanhaji, Meureubo, Samadua, Susoh, and Tapaktuan. Each of these dialects also includes sub-dialects, which may vary from one another. Additionally, different districts often have distinct dialects, reflecting the linguistic diversity within the region. The differences between these dialects may lie in their phonology, morphology, and lexicons; however, they remain
mutually intelligible In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is a relationship between different but related language varieties in which speakers of the different varieties can readily understand each other without prior familiarity or special effort. Mutual intellig ...
. For example, the Tapaktuan dialect tends to use the vowel sound "a" at the end of words or sentences, and the pronunciation of the consonant "r" in the Tapaktuan dialect is concise. On the other hand, in the Samadua dialect, the consonant "r" is replaced with "gh", and there is greater use of the vowel sound "o" in spoken words or sentences. The dialects of Tapaktuan and Samadua are notably distinct from other Jamee dialects. These two are more traditional and retain greater similarities to the Minangkabau dialects spoken in West Sumatra. Additionally, the Tapaktuan dialect is more influenced by Indonesian, as
Tapaktuan Tapaktuan is a town and administrative district (''kecamatan'') in the southwest of Aceh province of Indonesia. The town is the capital (seat of the government) of South Aceh Regency. The district covers a land area of 106.99 km2, which is subdiv ...
is the capital of South Aceh Regency, where local government offices are located and Indonesian is commonly used in administration. The differences are not only in pronunciation but also in vocabulary, sentence structure, and intonation. The Susoh dialect spoken in South Aceh and the Meureubo dialect spoken in West Aceh share many similarities in pronunciation, vocabulary, and intonation. They are more influenced by Acehnese compared to the other dialects, to the extent that the Jamee dialects spoken in these two districts can be considered as a mixture of Minangkabau and Acehnese. Another dialect is the Labuhanhaji dialect which is used in South Aceh, especially in Hulu Pisang village.


Phonology

Like many other regional languages in Indonesia, the Jamee language lacks a standardized phonological system. However, some elements of its phonological system are loosely influenced by standard Indonesian orthography, particularly the system developed by the Indonesian
Ministry of Education and Culture A ministry of education and culture is a cabinet position in the governments of several nations. In some nations the ministry of education and the ministry of culture are separate departments; in others, the ministry of education and culture al ...
.


Vowels

The Jamee language features a total of seven
vowel A vowel is a speech sound pronounced without any stricture in the vocal tract, forming the nucleus of a syllable. Vowels are one of the two principal classes of speech sounds, the other being the consonant. Vowels vary in quality, in loudness a ...
s, setting it apart from standard Minangkabau, which has only five. The vowels in Jamee are /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/, /É›/, and /É”/. Notes: In writing, the following phonemes are represented as thus: * is or * is


Consonants

The Jamee language has 19 consonants, similar to standard Minangkabau. However, the phoneme /r/ is absent in the Jamee language, while the phoneme /ɣ/, present in Jamee, is absent in standard Minangkabau. Notes: In writing, the following phonemes are represented as thus: * / ŋ/ is ⟨ng⟩ * / ɲ/ is ⟨ny⟩ * / t͡ʃ/ is ⟨c⟩ * / d͡ʒ/ is ⟨j⟩ * / ʔ/ is ⟨k⟩ * / j/ is ⟨y⟩ * / ɣ/ is


Diphthongs

Diphthong A diphthong ( ), also known as a gliding vowel or a vowel glide, is a combination of two adjacent vowel sounds within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different targets: that is, the tongue (and/or other parts of ...
s, or compound vowels, in the Jamee language include the following: /ai/, /ia/, /ie/, /ua/, /ui/, /ue/, and /eè/. A defining characteristic of diphthongs is that their pronunciation involves a shift in tongue position, differing between the starting and ending sounds. These differences are influenced by the tongue's height, the part of the tongue that moves, and the overall tongue structure. In the Jamee language, diphthongs can be categorized into three types: rising diphthongs, falling diphthongs, and centering diphthongs. Rising diphthongs include /ai/, falling diphthongs consist of /ia/, /ie/, /ua/, /ue/, and /eè/, and centering diphthongs include /ui/. Examples of these diphthongs in use are shown below: * /ai/: ''salasai'' 'finish' * /ia/: ''ambiak'' 'to take' * /ie/: ''caliek'' 'to see' * /ua/: ''jatuah'' 'to fall' * /ue/: ''tidue'' 'to sleep' * /eè/: ''enteèng'' 'light' * /ui/: ''lauik'' 'sea'


Grammar

Along with
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to: * Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people * Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center * Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see bel ...
, Indonesian, Malay, and other related languages, the word order in the Jamee language is typically subject-verb-object (SVO). While there are notable exceptions, the grammar structure of the Jamee language shares many similarities with Indonesian and Malay.


Affixes

In the Jamee language, there are four types of
affix In linguistics, an affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word or word form. The main two categories are Morphological derivation, derivational and inflectional affixes. Derivational affixes, such as ''un-'', ''-ation' ...
es:
prefix A prefix is an affix which is placed before the stem of a word. Particularly in the study of languages, a prefix is also called a preformative, because it alters the form of the word to which it is affixed. Prefixes, like other affixes, can b ...
es,
suffix In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns and adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can ca ...
es,
infix An infix is an affix inserted inside a word stem (an existing word or the core of a family of words). It contrasts with '' adfix,'' a rare term for an affix attached to the outside of a stem, such as a prefix or suffix. When marking text for ...
es, and
circumfix A circumfix ( abbr: ) (also parafix, confix, or ambifix) is an affix which has two parts, one placed at the start of a word, and the other at the end. Circumfixes contrast with prefixes, attached to the beginnings of words; suffixes, attached a ...
. As is commonly found in languages across Indonesia, in the Jamee language, prefixes are attached at the beginning of a word, infixes are inserted between the consonant and the vowel of the first syllable of the root word, and suffixes are added at the end of the root word. Meanwhile, confixes, which are a combination of a prefix and a suffix forming a unified whole, are attached at both the beginning and the end of the root word.


Prefixes

Examples of prefixes in the Jamee language are ''ba-'', ''di-'', ''ka-'', ''ma-'', ''pa-,'' ''sa-'', and ''ta-''. The prefix ''ba-'' has two allomorphs: ''ba-'' and ''bar-''. The form ''ba-'' is used with root words that begin with a consonant, while the form ''bar-'' is used with root words that begin with a vowel. The prefix ''ba-'' can be attached to verbs, nouns, adjectives, and numerals. The prefix ''ba-'' conveys different meanings depending on the type of word it is attached to. When combined with verbs, it signifies performing an action on oneself or engaging in an activity. With nouns, it indicates actions such as working on or managing something, possessing or owning, using or utilizing, or producing or creating. When used with adjectives, it expresses being in a particular state or condition. Lastly, when attached to numerals, it denotes the idea of forming or representing a collective group. Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''ba-'' + ''latieh'' 'train' → ''balatieh'' 'to train oneself' * ''ba-'' + ''dama'' 'peace' → ''badama'' 'to make peace' * ''ba-'' + ''paneh'' 'hot' → ''bapaneh'' 'to be in a hot condition' * ''ba-'' + ''limo'' 'five' → ''balimo'' 'to be in a group of five' The prefix ''di-'' has no allomorphs. It is used to indicate the passive voice and is only attached to verbs. Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''di-'' + ''karajo'' 'work' → ''dikarajoken'' 'to be done' * ''di-'' + ''tulie'' 'write' → ''ditulie'' 'to be written' * ''di-'' + ''angkek'' 'carry' → ''diangkek'' 'to be carried' * ''di-'' + ''kaja'' 'chase' → ''diakaja'' 'to be chased' The prefix ''ka-'' has no allomorphs. It can be combined with adjectives and numerals. When attached to adjectives, ''ka-'' conveys the meaning of "indicating that which is ... ." When combined with numerals, ''ka-'' implies the meaning of "indicating a level or group." Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''ka-'' + ''tuo'' 'old' → ''katuo'' 'head/chief' * ''ka-'' + ''kasieh'' 'give' → ''kakasieh'' 'lover' * ''ka-'' + ''duo'' 'two' → ''kaduo'' 'second' * ''ka-'' + ''ampek'' 'four' → ''kaampek'' 'fourth' The prefix ''ma-'' always carries a nasal sound, leading to several allomorphs: ''ma-'', ''mam-'', ''man-'', ''many-'', and ''mang-''. These variations are determined by the initial sound of the root word. The form ''ma-'' becomes ''mam-'' when the root begins with the consonants /b/ or /p/, and ''man-'' when the root starts with /t/ or /d/. It changes to ''many-'' when the root begins with /s/. Additionally, ''ma-'' transforms into ''mang-'' if the root starts with the consonants /k/, /g/, /h/, or a vowel (/a/, /i/, /u/, /e/). The prefix ''ma-'' can be attached to nouns, verbs, adjectives, and numerals, each conveying different meanings depending on the type of root word. When combined with nouns, ''ma-'' can express meanings such as acting like or becoming like something, moving toward a direction, creating or making something referred to by the root word, using something, or adding to or supplying something. When attached to verbs, ''ma-'' conveys the meaning of performing an action or engaging in an activity. With adjectives, it signifies the meaning of becoming a certain state. Lastly, when combined with numerals, ''ma-'' implies the meaning of becoming or forming something related to the number. Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''ma-'' + ''natu'' 'stone' → ''mambatu'' 'freeze like a stone' * ''ma-'' + ''lompek'' 'jump' → ''malompek'' 'to jump' * ''ma-'' + ''dakek'' 'close' → ''mandakek'' 'to get closer' * ''ma-'' + ''satu'' 'one' → ''manyatu'' 'to become one' The prefix ''pa-'' always carries a nasal sound, resulting in several allomorphs: /pa-/, /paR-/, /pam-/, /pan-/, /pany-/, and /pang-/. The form ''pa-'' changes to ''pam-'' when the root word begins with the consonants /b/ or /p/. It becomes ''pany-'' when the root starts with the consonant /s/. The form ''pa-'' changes to ''pan-'' when the root begins with the consonants /t/, /d/, or /c/. Finally, ''pa-'' changes to ''pang-'' when the root starts with the consonants /k/, /g/, /h/, or a vowel (/a/, /i/, /u/, /e/). Additionally, ''pa-'' may change to ''paR-'' when the root begins with a vowel, depending on the function and context. The prefix ''pa-'' can be attached to nouns, verbs, adjectives, and numerals, each carrying different meanings. When attached to nouns, ''pa-'' signifies a tool or instrument, a person who works at a certain place, or the meaning of making or considering something as such. When combined with verbs, ''pa-'' indicates the performer of an action or someone who is fond of doing something. With adjectives, ''pa-'' conveys the meaning of having the characteristic mentioned in the root word, functioning as a tool, or making or enhancing something. When attached to numerals, ''pa-'' implies the meaning of "making into" or "becoming." Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''pa-'' + ''sapu'' 'broom' → ''panyapu'' 'sweeper' * ''pa-'' + ''budak'' 'slave' → ''pabudak'' 'to enslave' * ''pa-'' + ''ketek'' 'small' → ''paketek'' 'to smallen' * ''pa-'' + ''nyanyi'' 'sing' → ''panyanyi'' 'singer' The prefix ''sa-'' has no allomorphs and can be attached to nouns, adjectives, and numerals. When attached to nouns, ''sa-'' conveys the meaning of "one" or "a group." When combined with adjectives, ''sa-'' often means "similar to" or "the same as." When attached to to numerals, it conveys the meaning of "one." Additionally, ''sa-'' is frequently used with the suffix ''-no'', and the base word may be used for reduplication. Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''sa-'' + ''rupo'' 'appearance' → ''sarupo'' 'identical' * ''sa-'' + ''tenggi'' 'tall' → ''satenggi'' 'as tall as' * ''sa-'' + ''pande'' 'smart' → ''sapande'' 'as smart as' * ''sa-'' + ''ratus'' 'hundred' → ''saratus'' 'a hundred' The prefix ''ta-'' has two allomorphs: ''ta-'' and ''taR-''. When attached to a root that begins with a consonant, it remains ''ta-'', but when attached to a root that starts with a vowel, it changes to ''taR-''. The prefix ''ta-'' can be combined with verbs and adjectives. When attached to verbs, ''ta-'' conveys meanings such as "able" or "capable," or it can indicate that an action is performed unintentionally or refers to a state. When attached to adjectives, ''ta-'' expresses the superlative degree, indicating the highest level or most intense quality of the characteristic described by the root. Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''ta-'' + ''bali'' 'buy' → ''tabali'' 'to get bought' * ''ta-'' + ''lalok'' 'sleep' → ''talalok'' 'to fall asleep' * ''ta-'' + ''latak'' 'position' → ''talatak'' 'to be positioned' * ''ta-'' + ''randeh'' 'low' → ''tarandeh'' 'lowest'


Infixes

The use of infixes in the Jamee language is highly limited and is likely influenced by Indonesian. Some examples of infixes in the Jamee language are ''-am-'', ''-al- and'' ''-ar-''. The use of infixes is to indicate quantity, frequency or intensity, or to express characteristics as stated in the root form. Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''gunung'' 'mountain' + -am- → ''gamunung'' 'mountains' * ''gigi'' 'tooth' + ''-ar-'' → ''gerigi'' 'serrated' * ''gatar'' 'to shake' + ''-al-'' → ''galatar'' 'to tremble' * ''gilang'' 'bright' + ''-am-'' → ''gamilang'' 'brilliant'


Suffixes

Examples of suffixes in the Jamee language are ''-en'', ''-i'', ''-ken'', ''-nyo'' and ''-se.'' The suffix ''-en'' can be attached to nouns, verbs, adjectives, and numerals, each carrying different meanings based on the type of root word. In the Tapaktuan dialect, ''-an'' is used, influenced by Indonesian.' When combined with nouns, ''-en'' conveys the sense of a group or collection, or it indicates the result or outcome of an action. When attached to verbs, it can signify a tool or instrument, or it may also denote the result or consequence of an action. With adjectives, ''-en'' implies possessing a quality or characteristic described by the base word. Lastly, when attached to numerals, ''-en'' suggests the idea of a group or collection associated with the number.' Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''gambar'' 'picture' + ''-en'' → ''gambaran'' 'depiction' * ''kurueng'' 'to confine' + ''-en'' → ''kuruengen'' 'cage' * ''tulis'' 'to write' + ''-en'' → ''tulisen'' 'writing' * ''pulueh'' 'ten' + ''-en'' → ''puluehen'' 'tens' The suffix ''-i'' can be affixed to nouns, verbs, and adjectives. When attached to nouns, it denotes the act of giving something described by the base word. When combined with verbs, it indicates performing an action repeatedly. When joined with adjectives, it signifies causing something to acquire the quality expressed by the base word.' Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''ubek'' 'medicine' + ''-i'' → ''ubeki'' 'to give medicine' * ''kantong'' 'pocket' + ''-i'' → ''kantongi'' 'to put something into a pocket' * ''tanom'' 'to plant' + ''-i'' → ''tanomi'' 'to plant repeatedly' * ''hitom'' 'black' + ''-i'' → ''hitomi'' 'to blacken' The suffix ''-ken'' can be attached to nouns, verbs, and adjectives. The Tapaktuan dialect uses ''-kan'', while communities outside Tapaktuan predominantly use ''-ken'' much more frequently than ''-kan'', influenced by the suffix ''-kan'' in Indonesian.' The meaning of the suffix ''-ken'' is
causative In linguistics, a causative (abbreviated ) is a valency-increasing operationPayne, Thomas E. (1997). Describing morphosyntax: A guide for field linguists'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 173–186. that indicates that a subject either ...
. Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''aie'' 'water'+ ''-ken'' → ''aieken'' 'to water' * ''buka'' 'open'+ ''-ken'' → ''bukaken'' 'to open' * ''kunci'' 'key'+ ''-ken'' → ''kunciken'' 'to lock' * ''jalo'' 'net'+ ''-ken'' → ''jaloken'' 'to catch using net' The suffix ''-nyo'' in the Jamee language has no allomorphs. This suffix can be attached to nouns, verbs, and adjectives. The suffix ''-nyo'' serves to clarify the word it precedes, emphasize what is mentioned in the base word, or describe a situation.' Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''rumah'' 'house'+ ''-nyo'' → ''rumahnyo'' 'his/her house' * ''kecek'' 'to talk'+ ''-nyo'' → ''keceknya'' 'what he/she said' * ''sirah'' 'red'+ ''-nyo'' → ''sirahnyo'' 'very red' * ''lari'' 'to run'+ ''-nyo'' → ''larinyo'' 'his/her run' The suffix ''-se'' in the Jamee language is equivalent to the particle ''-lah'' in Indonesian.' This suffix has no allomorphs and can only be attached to verbs. The suffix ''-se'' serves to emphasize and reinforce the meaning of the base word. Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''mandi'' 'to shower' + ''-se → mandise'' 'go take a shower' * ''siko'' 'here' + ''-se → sikose'' 'come here' * ''tidue'' 'to sleep' + ''-se → tiduese'' 'go sleep' * ''pacek'' 'to hold' + ''-se → pacekse'' 'hold it'


Circumfixes

In the Jamee language, there are two circumfixes: ''ka-...-en'' and ''pa-...-en''.' The circumfix ''ka-...-en'' has no allomorphs and can only be attached to adjectives. This circumfix conveys meanings such as describing an event that has occurred, experiencing something, indicating an excessive degree, or possessing characteristics similar to those expressed by the base word.' Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''ka- + manis'' 'sweet' ''+ -en'' ''→ kemanisen'' 'too sweet' * ''ka- + wajib'' 'obligatory' ''+ -en'' ''→ kewajiben'' 'oorabligation' * ''ka- + kurang'' 'lack' ''+ -en'' ''→ kekurangen'' 'lackness' * ''ka- + malu'' 'shame' ''+ -en'' ''→ kekurangen'' 'very embarrassed' The circumfix ''pa-...-en'' in the Jamee language has two allomorphs: ''pa-...-en'' and ''paR-...-en''.' The first is used when attached to a base word that begins with a consonant, while the second is used with a base word that begins with a vowel. This circumfix can only be attached to verbs. It conveys meanings such as indicating a place, the result of an action, or the event or action itself. Examples of its usage are shown below: * ''pa- + adil'' 'fair' ''+ -en'' ''→ pangadilen court' * ''pa- + nulak'' 'to reject' ''+ -en'' ''→ panulaken rejection' * ''pa- + tusuk'' 'to stab' ''+ -en'' ''→ panusuaken stabbing' * ''pa- + palsu'' 'fake' ''+ -en'' ''→ pemalsuen forgery'


Reduplication

In the Jamee language, three types of
reduplication In linguistics, reduplication is a Morphology (linguistics), morphological process in which the Root (linguistics), root or Stem (linguistics), stem of a word, part of that, or the whole word is repeated exactly or with a slight change. The cla ...
are found: full reduplication, which involves repeating the entire base word without adding other elements; full reduplication with phoneme variation in one of its components; and reduplication with affixation, which combines reduplication with affixes.' The meanings that can be conveyed by reduplication in the Jamee language include indicating plurality or variety, resemblance, intensity, an indefinite quantity, mutual action, or a collective sense. Examples of reduplications are: * ''sayur'' 'vegetable' ''→ sayur-sayuren'' 'assortments of vegetables' * ''buku'' 'book' ''→ buku-buku'' 'many books' * ''anak'' 'child' ''→ anak-anaken'' 'acting childish' * ''orang'' 'person' ''→ orang-orangen'' 'resembling a person' * ''gadang'' 'big' ''→ gadang-gadang'' 'very big' * ''ayom'' 'chicken' ''→ ayom-ayom'' 'many chickens' * ''tariek'' 'to pull' ''→ tariek-manariek'' 'to pull one another' * ''tigo'' 'three' ''→ tigo-tigo'' 'three of them'


Nouns

In the Jamee language,
noun In grammar, a noun is a word that represents a concrete or abstract thing, like living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, and ideas. A noun may serve as an Object (grammar), object or Subject (grammar), subject within a p ...
s can be followed by other nouns, verbs, adjectives, or prepositions.' Noun phrase can also consist of two nouns connected by a conjunction. Examples of nouns are shown below: * ''aie tabu'' 'sugarcane juice' * ''ayah amo umak'' 'dad and mom' * ''lauek panggang'' 'grilled fish' * ''urang gapuek'' 'fat person' * ''unggeh dalam sangkak'' 'bird inside a cage'


Verbs

Verb A verb is a word that generally conveys an action (''bring'', ''read'', ''walk'', ''run'', ''learn''), an occurrence (''happen'', ''become''), or a state of being (''be'', ''exist'', ''stand''). In the usual description of English, the basic f ...
s can be followed by other verbs, nouns, numerals, adverbs and prepositions.' Examples of verbs and its usage are shown below: * ''mangumpeken kepieng '''to collect money' * ''pai mangai'' 'to go fishing' * ''ambiek sabuah'' 'take one' * ''liek sabanta'' 'look briefly' * ''tabang'' ''ke langiek'' 'fly to the sky'


Adjectives

Adjective An adjective (abbreviations, abbreviated ) is a word that describes or defines a noun or noun phrase. Its semantic role is to change information given by the noun. Traditionally, adjectives are considered one of the main part of speech, parts of ...
s can be followed by other adjectives, adverbs and prepositions.' An adjectival phrase can also consist of two adjectives connected by a conjunction. Examples of adjectives and its usage are shown below: * ''kayo miskien'' 'rich poor' * ''manieh dan asien'' 'sweet and salty' * ''jaueh sakiek'' 'slightly far' * ''sira di dalom'' 'red on the inside'


Adverbs

An
adverb An adverb is a word or an expression that generally modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a determiner, a clause, a preposition, or a sentence. Adverbs typically express manner, place, time, frequency, degree, or level of certainty by ...
indicating time can be followed by a
demonstrative pronoun Demonstratives ( abbreviated ) are words, such as ''this'' and ''that'', used to indicate which entities are being referred to and to distinguish those entities from others. They are typically deictic, their meaning depending on a particular fram ...
.' It can also be followed by another adverb. Examples of adverbs and its usage are shown below: * ''kini ko'' 'right now' * ''patang ko'' 'this evening' * ''isuek pagi'' 'tomorrow morning' * ''pagi kalamerien'' 'yesterday morning'


Numerals

Numeral can be followed by another numerals, which may also be connected by a conjunction.' Examples of numerals and its usage are shown below: * ''saiko duo iko'' 'one two animals' * ''ciek duo'' 'one two' * ''ampek ngen limo'' 'four and five' * ''limo ngen anam'' 'five and six'


Prepositions

Prepositions Adpositions are a class of words used to express spatial or temporal relations (''in, under, towards, behind, ago'', etc.) or mark various semantic roles (''of, for''). The most common adpositions are prepositions (which precede their complemen ...
can be followed by verbs, personal pronouns, adverbs, or nouns.' Examples of prepositions and its usage are shown below: * ''alah tibo'' 'has arrived' * ''untuek ambo'' 'for me' * ''hinggo pagi'' 'until morning' * ''di lauik'' at the sea'


Vocabulary

Much of the vocabulary in the Jamee language is derived from
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to: * Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people * Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center * Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see bel ...
. However, it has also incorporated loanwords from other languages, such as Acehnese and Indonesian. Additionally, there are slight variations in the vocabulary of different Jamee dialects, although these dialects generally remain
mutually intelligible In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is a relationship between different but related language varieties in which speakers of the different varieties can readily understand each other without prior familiarity or special effort. Mutual intellig ...
. The table below provides examples of common Jamee vocabulary used on a daily basis along with their standard Minangkabau, Indonesian, and English translations.


Numerals


Directions


Personal Pronouns


Interrogatives Pronouns


Nouns


Verbs


Adjectives


See also

*
Minangkabau people Minangkabau people (; ; ) are an Austronesian people, Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Western Sumatra region on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Minangkabau's West Sumatera homelands was th ...
* Pesisir language


References


Bibliography

* * * {{Languages of Indonesia Minangkabau language Languages of Indonesia Minangkabau Malayic languages Languages of Sumatra