Tombulu language

Tombulu, also known as Minahasan language, is an Austronesian language of northern Sulawesi in Indonesia. It is a Minahasan language, a sub-group of the Philippine languages.

Tombulu
Minahasa
Native to	Indonesia
Region	northern Sulawesi
Native speakers	(60,000 cited 1981)
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Philippine Minahasan North Northeast Tombulu
Writing system	Latin Malesung (historical)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	tom
Glottolog	tomb1243

It is a local language of the Minahasa people spoken in the city of Tomohon and in the villages under the Kota Tomohon administration such as Rurukan, Pinaras, Kumelembuai, Woloan, and Tara-Tara. It is also spoken in the villages under the administration of the Minahasa Regency in the Tombulu district, Tombariri district, Mandolang district, Pineleng district, and two villages in the Sonder district, namely Rambunan and Sawangan.

Distribution

Below are the list of villages that historically speaks bahasa Tombulu:

Kota Tomohon

• Wailan
• Kayawu
• Woloan
• Tara-Tara
• Rurukan
• Pinaras
• Kumelembuai
• Pangolombian
• Lahendong

Minahasa Regency

(Pineleng District)

• Sea
• Pineleng
• Warembungan
• Lotta
• Kali

(Tombulu District)

• Koka
• Sawangan
• Kamangta
• Tombuluan
• Kembes
• Rumengkor
• Suluan

(Mandolang District)

• Agotey
• Koha
• Tateli

(Tombariri District)

• Mokupa
• Poopoh
• Senduk
• Kumu
• Pinasungkulan

(Sonder District)

• Sawangan
• Rambunan

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Post-alv./ Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Plosive/ Affricate	voiceless	p	t	tʃ	k	ʔ
	voiced	b	d	dʒ	ɡ
Nasal		m	n		ŋ
Fricative	voiceless		s			h
	voiced		z
Lateral			l	ʎ
Trill			r	r̠
Approximant		w		j

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i		u
Mid	e	ə	o
Open		a

Vocabulary

The Tombulu language is unique among the Minahasan languages in its pronunciation of the letter ⟨l⟩. In the other four Minahasan languages the letter ⟨l⟩ is pronounced as is, but in Tombulu it is pronounced like the ⟨th⟩ of the English language.

For example: kulo, meaning 'white', would be pronounced as kutho.

English	Tombulu
Yes	Ene
No	Zei'kan
North	Amian
South	Timu
West	Talikuran
East	Sendangan
Hand	Lengan
Head	Ulu
Ear	Lunteng
Eye	Weweren
Stomach	Po'ot
Feet	A'e
Grandma	Nene
Grandfather	Tete
Mom	Ina
Dad	Ama
Me	Niaku
You	Niko
We	Kai
They	Sera
Him, her	Sia
Friend	Karia
Beautiful	Fasung
Female	Wewene
Male	Tuama
Kids	K'oki
Female teacher	Enci
Male teacher	Engku
Bad	Lewo
Good	Le'os
Water	Zano
Shower	Lemele
Drink	Melep
School	Sekolah
Going to school	Sumikolah
Give	Wehape
Hungry	Maharem
Full (Stomach Full)	Wesu
Eat	Kuman
Breakfast	Sumokol
Fish	Seza
Good morning	Syambae
Good day	Tabea
When	Sawisa
Where	Wisa
Who	Sei
Go	Mange
Stop	Mento
Sit down	Rumemez
Stand	Rumendai
Walk	Lampang
Walking	Lumampang
Let's go	Meimo
Until then	Teintu mo
Because	Pah'paan
But	Ta'an
Or	Ka'pa
Although	Ma'an
Very	totoz
Yesterday	Kawi'i
Today	N'endo
Tonight	Wengindo mokan
Tomorrow	Sando
Face (Menghadap)	Sumaru
Sleep	Tekel
Sleeping	Tumekel
Falling Asleep	Matatandu
Have slept	Matetekelo
Rise	Sumaup
Ascend	Sumosor
Descend	Meros
Left	Kawi-i
Right	Kakan
God	Opo
Holy Spirit	Aseng Lengas

Numerals

1	Esa	11	Mapulu wo Esa	20	Zua nga pulu	100	Maatus	1000	Mariwu
2	Zua	12	Mapulu wo Zua	21	Zua nga pulu wo Esa	200	Zua nga'atus	2000	Zua nga'riwu
3	Tellu
4	Epat
5	Lima
6	Enem
7	Pitu
8	Wallu
9	Siou
10	Mapulu

Phrases & examples

English	Tombulu
3479	Telu nga'riwu wo epat nga'atus wo pitu ngapulu wo siou
How are you?	Kura-mo?
What's your name?	Sei sia ngaranu?
Where are you going?	Mange wisako?
What are you doing?	Ma'kura'ko?
Where are you from?	Wisako ameye?
Who is he/she?	Sei sia?
See you tomorrow	Sando mokan
How much?	Pira?
Can I have some?	Wehane toyo?
The drinks are not here	Se elepan kampe wia
Thank you	Makase mo
I love you	Ko'rara ateku
God of The Highest	Opo Wananatas
God Almighty	Opo Wailan Wangko

Penginaléi Ama’ nai
Ama nai im wana sorga,
Loozen nai un ngaranNu
Maye mo ung kakolanoanmu
Mamualimoma un paazmu ti kaayahaan mo ti sorga
Wehape nikai inendo kenu kanen nai takaz maawez
Wo ampunganne un sumala nai
Tanu nikai mahampung wia setou simala wia nikai
Wo tiakkan ipah wali nikai wana an pema'waa
Ta'an izoula wia nikai witu kalewo'a
Pahpaan niko uman simaka kakolanoan,
Wo ung kawasa,
wo ung kawangunan takaz kauze-uze na,
Ulit.

The Lord's Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power,
the glory forever,
Amen.

Status

The Tombulu language is in critical need of revitalization. It is not being spoken as a first language in highly populated areas such as Tomohon, Pineleng, and Tanawangko. Traditionally Tombulu-speaking villages such as Woloan, Tara-Tara, Lolah, and Lemoh are not so today. The Board of Education of the Indonesian government has not offered any help either to the Tombulu language or any other local languages that are in decline. It is responsible for the removal of the Muatan Lokal from the daily curriculum of all grade schools across the nation in the past few years. Muatan Lokal, if available, is a daily class which most provinces in Indonesia use to teach the new generations the local languages.

Tombulu is still spoken in villages such as Kayawu, Rurukan, Kumelembuai, Pinaras, Suluan, Kembes, Tombuluan, Rumengkor, Kali, Tondangow, Sawangan, and Rambunan all the way to the children. One Sunday on every month, Tombulu language is used in sermon in its local churches.

At the beginning of 2013, an Indonesian-Tombulu dictionary was first released. A New Testament version of the Bible in Tombulu language was released in November 2018.