Pardembanan Batak language

Pardembanan Batak language is a Batak language (Simalungun or Toba branch) used by the Pardembanan Batak people (a mixture of Bataks-Malays). This language has its roots in Simalungun Batak language, has similarities with Nadolok Batak language, but also has influences from Toba Batak language and Malay language, in this case Asahan Malay.^[1]

Pardembanan Batak
Hata/Cakap Pardembanan
One of the pages in the book Mission to The East Coast of Sumatra (1826) showing a comparison of the vocabulary of Pardembanan, Karau-Karau (Karo), and its translation into English.
Native to	Indonesia
Region	North Sumatra (Asahan)
Ethnicity	Pardembanan Batak
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Northwest Sumatra–Barrier Islands Batak Southern Simalungun or Toba (?) Pardembanan Batak
Writing system	Latin, Batak, Jawi
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
Glottolog	None

History

According to the North Sumatra Provincial Language Center, it is said that the cause of the similarities between the Pardembanan, Nadolok, and Simalungun languages cannot be separated from the role of the kingdoms of Nagur, Silou, and Batangiou, where the territory of his power reached Asahan and Labuhanbatu. Although currently the Pardembanan Batak and Nadolok Batak originate from clans in Toba Land. The term "Pardembanan" itself comes from the abundance of demban 'betel' in the area around Buntu Pane and Bandar Pasir Mandogei. Furthermore, the local people also like mardemban 'eating betel'.^[2] It is said that the Dutch colonialists were confused about classifying them, because the population was a mixture of Toba Batak and Malay.^[1] Meanwhile, the first person to mention the name Pardembanan (written as Perdimbanan) was John Anderson in 1823 in his book entitled Mission to The East Coast of Sumatra (1826).^[3]

Initially, this language was used by clans that separated from Simalungun after the establishment of the Asahan Sultanate, such as Tambak, Simargolang, Nadolok, Nahombang, and Dasopang. Over time, these clans have claimed to be Malays and have Malay customs.^[4] Finally, the use of this Simalungun derivative language shifted to the Toba Batak people who replaced their language, many of whom migrated to Asahan and Labuhanbatu. Although initially the Pardembanan Batak clan initially included Damanik Simargolang, Dasopang, Purba Tambak, Purba Nadolok (Sidadolog), and Sinaga Nahombang (Sidahombang) who are part of Simalungun Batak people. However, as time went by in Asahan, most of them spoke Malay language. Currently, the people who use Pardembanan Batak language is the language of Toba Batak people, but it is not as authentic as it once was, as the language has now been heavily influenced by the Toba Batak language they brought with them.^[1]

Distribution

The Pardembanan Batak-speaking areas is located in Asahan Regency, North Sumatra. It borders the Asahan Malay-speaking areas downstream, while the latter lies in the upper and middle reaches of the Asahan River.^[5] In the places they call themselves halak Pardembanan which means 'people of betel-quid', which can also be interpreted as 'people who live where betel lives'.^[6] Some are known from the names of Pardembanan Batak-speaking areas in Asahan and Labuhanbatu, including Buntu Panei, Bandar Pasir Mandogei, Bandar Pulo, Ambalutu, Parapat Janji, Sionggang, Rahuning, Parhutaan Silou, Mariah Gunung, Padang Pulau, Buntu Maraja, Gonting Malaha, Marjanji Asih, Pinanggiripan, Pulou Puli, Sijabut, Huta Padang, Silau Jawa, Padang Mahondang, Rawang, Bahung Sibatubatu, Sei Silau, Sei Silou Tua, Silau Maraja, Urung Panei, Ujung Panei, Silou Laut, Silou Buntu, Silou Lama, Pulou Mariah, Dolog Maraja, Tinggi Raja, Piasa Ulu, Ujung Sipinggan, Pamatang Asahan, Habokou, Merangir (from the name Maranggir), Aek Kanopan (from the name Bah Hanopan), and Rantau Prapat.^[1]

Vocabulary

The vocabulary of the Pardembanan Batak language is known as a Batak language (Simalungun branch). There are many similarities, also with other languages such as Nadolok Batak, Toba Batak, and Malay.^[7] There are several words that have experienced a shift in meaning, but their form does not change. This shift in meaning is natural because the language is far from its place of origin.^[1]

Numerals

The numerals vocabulary in Pardembanan Batak language is almost similar to that in Simalungun Batak language.^[1]

• sadah 'one'
• duo 'two'
• tolu 'three'
• opat 'four'
• limah 'five'
• onam 'six'
• peto 'seven'
• ualo 'eight'
• siah 'nine'
• sapulu 'ten'
• sapulu sadah 'eleven'
• duo pulu 'twenty'

Others

In others vocabulary, the Pardembanan Batak language also have similarities with other Batak languages, especially Simalungun Batak and Toba Batak languages.

• gotong-gotong 'handkerchief'
• hio botar 'white cloth'
• girgir 'red'
• birong' 'black'
• aik 'water'
• nadong 'no'
• demban 'betel'

Some words show similarities with other languages, such as birong 'black' which in Karo Batak language is biring 'black' and aik 'water' which in Malay language is air 'water'. In addition, there are many words that are the same in Pardembanan Batak and Nadolok Batak languages as in Simalungun Batak language or even from Toba Batak language. Among them are jolak 'bored', homai 'also', topar 'slap', hoji 'like, hobby', marosu 'like', tarokkon 'feel, endure', tarsinggok 'choking', sudu 'spoon', dohor 'near', doha 'old' (from the word dokah), bere 'give', hio 'cloth', bosur 'full', angkula 'body', bahat 'lot', bois 'finished', legan 'other', das 'arrived', juma 'field', longgur 'thunder', and others.^[1]

Characteristics

On the other hand, even though it has a Simalungun Batak substrate, it is believed that the Pardembanan Batak language is also a Toba Batak language branch, but there are differences in the local use of the Batak and Malay languages which are shown. This can be seen from the glossary containing sufficient words to describe the general nature of the deviations from the Toba Batak language, on the one hand, and from standard Malay, as exemplified in the dictionary by Henk Badings, on the other hand. The difference between the Pardembanan Batak language as a "sub-Toba" and the original Toba Batak language lies in the simplification of grammatical structure (not shown by the glossary) and fairly consistent phonetic changes, such as the appearance of the letter ⟨a⟩ in a certain position instead of the letter ⟨o⟩, the letter ⟨k⟩ instead of the letter ⟨h⟩, a complete replacement of consonants in certain positions which in Toba Batak may not be retained in speech but are retained in spelling, with the adoption of the words from Simalungun Batak and Malay.^[7]

See also

• Indonesia portal
• Language portal

• Simalungun language
• Toba Batak language