What language is mostly spoken in Timor-Leste?
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What language is mostly spoken in Timor-Leste?
Tetum Prasa
According to the 2010 census, Tetum Prasa is the most widely spoken language of the country, with 36.6% of the population speaking the language. Other widely spoken languages include Mambai, Tetum Terik (another version of Tetum Prasa used in rural areas), Baikenu, Kemak, and Bunak.
How many languages are spoken in Timor-Leste?
Timor-Leste’s two official languages are Portuguese and Tetum, and its two working languages are English and Indonesian.
Can East Timorese speak Portuguese?
DILI (Reuters) – Portuguese is one of the two official languages in East Timor, but you can hardly hear it spoken in the streets of the young nation. The tiny country was a Portuguese colony for more than three centuries, but only an estimated 5 percent of its one million people now speak the European language.
How do you say hello in Timor-Leste?
Tetum/Greetings
- Elo Hello.
- Bon dia Good day.
- Botarde Good afternoon.
- Bonoite Good evening.
- Adeus or Hau ba lai Goodbye.
Is Tetum a Creole language?
Tetum (Portuguese: Tétum [ˈt̪ɛt̪ũ], Tetum: Tetun [ˈt̪et̪un̪]) is an Austronesian language spoken on the island of Timor. It is spoken in Belu Regency in Indonesian West Timor, and across the border in East Timor, where it is one of the two official languages….Tetum language.
| Tétum (Portuguese), Tetun (Lian Tetun) | |
|---|---|
| Glottolog | tetu1245 |
How do you say thank you in Timor?
Key to abbreviations: m = said by men, f = said by women….Useful phrases in Tetum.
| English | Lia-Tetun (Tetum) |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Obrigadu (m) Obrigada (f) Obrigadu barak (m) Obrigada barak (f) |
| Reply to thank you | La iha buat ida Lalika temi |
Why does East Timor speak Portuguese?
Timorese Portuguese is a legacy of Portuguese rule of Timor-Leste (called Portuguese Timor) from the 16th century. It had its first contact during the Portuguese discoveries of the East, but it was largely exposed to Portuguese Timor in the 18th century after its division from the rest of the island by the Netherlands.
What language is spoken in West Timor?
The main languages of West Timor, Dawan, Marae and Tetun, as well as several other languages, such as Kemak, Bunak and Helong, are also used in East Timor. The other three languages which are only used in the local area of the Austronesian language group from the Fabron branches are Ndao, Rote and Sabu.
What language is spoken in Dili?
In East Timor Tetun Dili is widely spoken fluently as a second language….Tetum language.
| Tetun Dili | |
|---|---|
| Native to | East Timor |
| Native speakers | 390,000 (2009) L2: 570,000 in East Timor |
| Language family | Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Central–Eastern Timoric Tetumic Tetun Dili |
| Dialects | Belunese (Tetun Belu) Terik (Tetun Terik) |
Is English spoken in East Timor?
Under Indonesian rule from 1976–1999, East Timor’s official language was Indonesian; It, Along with English, currently has the status of a ‘working language’ under the present constitution.
Who speaks Tetum?
East Timor
Tetum or Tetun is the co-official language of East Timor (Timor-Leste), along with Portuguese. There are several varieties, but the one spoken in the capital (Tetun Dili) is used as a lingua franca, and is used in the media and for education.
How do you say thank you in Tetum?
Obrigadu/Obrigada – “Thank you”, said by a male/female (from Portuguese Obrigado/Obrigada). Ita bele ko’alia Tetun?
How do you say Merry Christmas in Timor Leste?
Other families will visit relatives and friends who weren’t able to make it for Christmas Eve to wish them Boas Festas do Natal (merry Christmas). It is also a tradition for parents to take their kids to visit their Inan-aman sarani (God parents) and give gifts such as money, chicken, fruits and cake.
Is Tetum a written language?
Tetum/n Prasa (market Tetum from the word praça in Portuguese meaning town square) or Tetum/n Dili (given its widespread usage in the capital Dili)….Tetum language.
| Tetun Dili | |
|---|---|
| Writing system | Latin (Tetum alphabet) |
| Official status | |
| Official language in | East Timor |
| Regulated by | National Institute of Linguistics |
What kind of language is Portuguese?
western Romance language
Portuguese (português or, in full, língua portuguesa) is a western Romance language of the Indo-European language family, originating in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe.
What other languages are spoken in East Timor?
Both Portuguese and Tetum have official recognition under the Constitution of East Timor, as do other indigenous languages, including: Bekais, Bunak, Galoli, Habun, Idalaka, Kawaimina, Kemak, Lovaia, Makalero, Makasae, Mambai, Tokodede and Wetarese.
How many dialects are in East Timor?
Linguistically, East Timor is a complex multilingual mosaic. There are twelve mutually unintelligible indigenous languages, four Austronesian and eight non-Austronesian, which can be further subdivided into 35 dialects and sub-dialects.
Why does Timor-Leste speak Portuguese?
