It may surprise you to learn that more than 700 different languages are spoken across Indonesia. As the second-most linguistically diverse country in the world, Indonesia requires a national lingua franca to ensure that citizens from all corners of the country can communicate, and that’s the role Indonesian plays. But Indonesian is only the native language of around 43 million people out of the 270-odd million that live in Indonesia. Others speak regional languages, such as Makassarese, as their first language.
Makassarese is one of Indonesia’s biggest languages, clocking in at 1.8 million native speakers. It’s split between three main dialectical varieties, which differ mainly in vocabulary and not grammar. Today, Makassarese is still widely used in the southern tip of South Sulawesi, although speakers in urban communities are starting to adopt Indonesian more and more. This has prompted Ethnologue to rate the language as threatened, as transmission to future generations is starting to be impacted. At TranslationServices.com, we appreciate the linguistic diversity of the world and want to help the Makassarese people preserve their language, so that’s why we’re now offering Makassarese translation services.
Take the first step toward Makassarese translation today by requesting a free quote from us!
What kinds of secrets does the Makassarese language hold?
Makassarese is native to the southernmost tip of South Sulawesi, a long peninsula that juts out from Indonesia’s Sulawesi island. From around the 17th to the 19th centuries, Makassarese was written in the native Makasar script, developed specifically for Makassarese, although in modern times, it’s usually written in the Latin alphabet or the Lontara script, historically used to write Buginese and Mandar, two other major languages in Sulawesi. Regarding Makassarese’s roots, it’s a Malayo–Polynesian language, like the vast majority of languages in Indonesia.
Makassarese features various pronouns, including a familiar form for the second person, and each pronoun comes in multiple varieties: an independent form, proclitic and enclitic forms (similar to prefixes and suffixes), and a possessive form. Makassarese uses an ergative–absolutive alignment, meaning intransitive subjects and transitive objects are treated the same, but sentences can also be “semitransitive,” where the subject is treated as an intransitive subject and the object is left unmarked. Makassarese’s complicated focus system also allows for additional nuance, bringing different elements of the sentence to focus through grammatical manipulation.
Makassarese translation services available in both directions
Our Makassarese translators are eager to help you with your translation needs, whether that involves translating from Makassarese to English or from English to Makassarese. With a well-rounded team of translators with various specializations, we can even translate historical documents in the traditional Masakar script! Naturally, if you have Makassarese literature, notes, or anything else, our team can also translate that into clear English, and you can spread Makassarese culture or insights around the globe. We’re also here for those looking to engage the Makassarese community, whether through promotional materials, educational content, research surveys and questionnaires, or creative content like books, poetry, websites, and games. Producing content in a language is one of the best ways to protect against endangerment, so our Makassarese translators are passionate about providing their services.
What kind of Makassarese translation project do you have? Let us know today by sending a message.