Murut people
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (120,000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 MalaysiaSabah including Labuan: 100,631 (2010) Sarawak: 9,500 (1980)  IndonesiaNorth Kalimantan, East Kalimantan  BruneiTemburong |
|
| Languages | |
| Murutic languages, Malaysian (those resident in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan), English, Brunei Malay (those living in Temburong district) and Indonesian (those resident in Kalimantan) | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (predominantly), Islam, Animism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Dayak, Tidung, Kelabit, Kayan, Kenyah, Melanau, Lun Bawang, Bidayuh, Penan, Orang Ulu and other Austronesian peoples |
The Murut are an indigenous ethnic group, comprising 29 sub-ethnic groups inhabiting northern inland regions of Borneo.
The literal translation of murut is "hill people".
A large percentage of the Murut communities are in the southwest interior of Sabah, East Malaysia, specifically the districts of Keningau, Tenom, Nabawan and Beaufort along the Sapulut and Padas rivers. They can also be found inhabiting the border areas of Sarawak, (especially around the Lawas and Limbang areas, where they are also referred to as Tagal people), North Kalimantan (traditionally concentrated in Malinau and Nunukan) and Brunei.
The Murut population in Brunei is mainly found in the sparsely populated Temburong district. They once supplied military might to the Sultans of Brunei. Their population has dwindled in recent years. They are defined as one of the seven indigenous groups that are considered to be Bumiputera in Brunei.
The Murut are divided between lowland (Timugon) and highland (Tagol) subgroups. They speak the Murutic languages, a branch of the Austronesian family. The Tagol Murut language serves as their lingua franca.
The Murut were the last of Sabah's ethnic groups to renounce headhunting. As with the Iban of Sarawak, collecting heads of enemies traditional served a very important role in Murut spiritual beliefs. For example, a man could only get married after he presented at least one head to the family of the desired girl.
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Wikipedia