The Tidung, Tidong ( Jawi: تيدوڠ) are a native group originating from northeastern part of

Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...

and surrounding small islands. They live on both sides of the border of Malaysia and Indonesia. Tidung speak Tidong language, a North Bornean language. The Tidong are traditionally farmers practising

slash-and-burn Slash-and-burn agriculture is a form of shifting cultivation that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a Field (agriculture), field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody p ...

agriculture. Some are ocean fishermen. They grow

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its sizeable, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable, which is a staple food in parts of ...

es,

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

lentils The lentil (''Vicia lens'' or ''Lens culinaris'') is an annual plant, annual legume grown for its Lens (geometry), lens-shaped edible seeds or ''pulses'', also called ''lentils''. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in Legume, pods, usually w ...

, fruits, and vegetables. Their farming methods are often accused of being the main cause of forest fires in Kalimantan. The rise of the Muslim

Tidung Sultanate The Tidung, Tidong (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: تيدوڠ) are a native group originating from northeastern part of Borneo and surrounding small islands. They live on both sides of the border of Malaysia and Indonesia. Tidung speak Tidong language, ...

molded the

ethnogenesis Ethnogenesis (; ) is the formation and development of an ethnic group. This can originate by group self-identification or by outside identification. The term ''ethnogenesis'' was originally a mid-19th-century neologism that was later introduce ...

character of the Tidung people. They collectively known as a Malayised Dayak (Indonesian: ''Dayak berbudaya Melayu'' or ''Dayak-Melayu'') people of Kalimantan similar to other native Muslim coastal Borneo groups, such as the Bulungan, Kutainese, Banjarese and Paserese people. Nonetheless, the Tidung people maintain historical connections with the Murut community. Despite following distinct cultural practices, the Tidung and Murut share cultural affinities rooted in their shared histories and interactions within Borneo's diverse ethnic landscape.

Etymology

The term ''tidung'' in Tarakan language of the Tidung people literally means "hill" or "

hill people Hill people, also referred to as mountain people, is a general term for people who live in the hills and mountains. This includes all rugged land above and all land (including plateaus) above elevation. The climate is generally harsh, with s ...

". As with many other tribes of the Malay Archipelago, the term ''tidung'' is a collective term used to describe many closely related indigenous groups. The different groups of Tidung people describe themselves in all cases as Tidung people, however, they are summarized by modern ethnology as a common people group due to similarities in cultural and religious traditions.

Settlement areas

The traditional territories of the Tidung people are at the Sembakung River,

North Kalimantan North Kalimantan () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. North Kalimantan borders the Malaysian states of Sabah to the north and Sarawa ...

and Sibuku River of their headwaters to the estuary north of Tarakan Island, Indonesia thence along the coast; south to the river-mouth of Bolongan River and northward up to

Tawau Tawau (), formerly known as Tawao, is the capital of the Tawau District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the third-largest city (or town)While Tawau have a population of more than 100,000 of which is considered city elsewhere in the world it is offic ...

Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...

, Malaysia including Cowie Harbour. An enclave of Tidung people located at Labuk River, opposite the city of Klagan.

Demographics

For Malaysia in the state of

, the census of 2010 (Census 2010) indicates a population of 28,515 Tidong. Whereas, Tidung people in other states have no statistical relevance. For Indonesia, the population of the Tidung people is estimated about 27,000 in the year of 2007.

Language

The

Tidung language The Murutic languages are a family of half a dozen closely related Austronesian languages, spoken in the northern inland regions of Borneo by the Murut and Tidung. Languages The Murutic languages are (Lobel 2013): *Murut proper Timugon Murut ...

spoken by the Tidung people is also part of other Murutic language, which in turn belongs to the Western Malayo-Polynesian languages. The

is spoken in different dialects, namely:- * Nonukan, Penchangan, Sedalir, Tikal, Tarakan, Malinau, Sesayap and Sibuku dialect in Indonesia * Tarakan and Sesayap dialect in

, Malaysia

Writing system

Prior to present-day Roman writing system, the Tidung people used

Jawi script Jawi (; ; ; ) is a writing system used for writing several languages of Southeast Asia, such as Acehnese, Banjarese, Betawi, Magindanao, Malay, Mëranaw, Minangkabau, Tausūg, Ternate and many other languages in Southeast Asia. Jawi ...

in their writings.

Folktales and fables

Among the Tidung folktale includes: *''Asal-usul Orang Tidung Tengara'' (The origin of Tidung Tenggara people) *''Lasedne sinan pagun'' (The sink of Jelutong village) *''Seludon Ibenayuk'' (The tale of Ibenayuk) *''Si Benua dan Si Sumbing'' (Benua and Sumbing) *''Seludon Yaki Yamus'' (The tale of Four-eyed king) *''Seludon Batu Tinagad'' (The logged stone) *''Yaki Balak'' (The story of Aki Balak)

References

{{Portal bar, Malaysia, Indonesia, , Philippines, Society Ethnic groups in Indonesia Ethnic groups in Sabah Ethnic groups in Palawan Muslim communities of Indonesia Dayak ethnic groups