Indonesian Subtitling Service

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A short history on the Indonesian language

Indonesian is a form of the Riau dialect of Malay, which belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian family of languages. The reach of the Austronesian languages extends from the coast of Africa (Malagasy spoken on Madagascar), to the islands of Southeast Asia (Balinese spoken on Bali), over to the Pacific (Maori spoken by the indigenous people of New Zealand).

Malay is spoken natively on both sides of the Strait of Malacca, which separates Sumatra from the Malay Peninsula. From the 5th century onwards the Strait of Malacca became a busy trade route, and the language spread throughout Indonesia, eventually becoming a lingua franca.

Over the years Malay came under the influence of other languages, including Sanskrit, Arabic, Dutch and English (as well as hundred of local languages, such as Javanese). But even when Indonesia came under Dutch control in the 17th century, Malay was so commonly used that it became the primary means of communication between the government and the people.

When Indonesia became an independent republic in 1945-49, a standardised version of Malay – coined Bahasa Indonesia (literally, “the language of Indonesia”) – was designated as the country’s official national language.

Which countries have Indonesian as a national language?

Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesia consists of almost 18,000 islands, and has over 700 different native languages and dialects. Most Indonesians speak both their regional language and Bahasa Indonesia.

How many people speak Indonesian as their first language?

It is estimated that approximately 25 million people speak Indonesian as their first language, with a further 150 million people speaking it as their second language.

Did you know…

• Indonesian is largely mutually intelligible with the official Malaysian form of Malay. There are differences in pronunciation and vocabulary, however, mainly due to Dutch and Javanese influences on the language.
• Indonesian is non-tonal and non-hierarchical – the same vocabulary is used no matter who is being addressed. In this way it is very different from Javanese, which has a hierarchical structure.
• There are several Indonesian words that have been incorporated into the English vocabulary, including orangutan, agar, kapok, batik, sarong, gong and amok.

The Indonesian economy

Indonesia’s emerging market economy is the largest in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is classified as a newly industrialised country, and is a member of the G20 major economies.