Page 189 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

similarity in the basic vocabulary) and the Waioli language (with 55% similarity of the basic
vocabulary). However, there are non-linguistic aspects which influence things. In this case,
the sub-district head socializes a good deal with people who use the languages and this is
likely to contribute to her bilingualism.
The Ternate language is related to a number of other languages, especially to the Tidore
language. Ternate has a fairly large number of speakers (50,000). It is used as an lingua franca
and has had a major influence on other languages in North Maluku. Currently in Gamkonora,
the Ternate language is used only in religious recitations, in dola bololo and pantun poems.
The Ternate Malay language is better known as an lingua franca. In comparison with the
Tidore language which has 43,000 speakers spread across the island of Ternate, Kayoa,
Bacan, Obi Island and the west coast of northern Halmahera, Ternate-Tidore language
kinship has 75% similarity of basic vocabulary. For Grimes, Ternate and Tidore language are
included in a sub-group of languages that is related at the level of dialect.
As an illustration, the Ternate language relationship to the Sahu language is quite close
with 55% similarity in basic vocabulary, while the language relationship between Tidore
language and Sahu language, the similarity in basic vocabulary amounted to 48%. The
level of relatedness between Ternate and the Waioli language also reaches 55% similarity
in basic vocabulary. These languages are in one language group of the same stock.
Another example is the kinship between Maba language of South Halmahera that belongs
to the Austronesian family’s East Malayo-Polynesian branch, and the Mangole language
(Central Malayo-Polynesian branch in the Austronesian family) with 17% similarity in basic
vocabulary. This means that both languages are Malayo-Polynesian. Another example is
the relatedness between Gamkonora language which is in the non-Austronesian language
family with the Mangole language which is an Austronesian language, only 5% of their
basic vocabulary is the same. It means that the Gamkonora language is related to Mangole
language at the level of language family.
The following chart shows the kinship of Sahu language sub-group with Sahu-Tala’i and
Sahu-Pa’disua dialects with Gamkonora language and Waioli language.
Figure 2: Sahu, Waioli and Gamkonora Language Kinship
Key:
ST ST= Sahu Tala’i
88 SP GAM = Gamkonora
78 82 WAI SP = Sahu-Pa’disua
70 73 74 GAM WAI = Waioli

Source : Grimes and Grimes (1984: 51)

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