Toba Batak language
| Batak Toba | |
|---|---|
| Hata Batak Toba | |
| Native to | Indonesia |
| Region | Samosir Island (2° 30′ N, 99°), and to the east, south, and west of Toba Lake in north Sumatra. |
|
Native speakers
|
(2 million cited 1991) |
|
Austronesian
|
|
| Latin, Batak alphabet | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | bata1289 |
Batak Toba /ˈtoʊbə ˈbætək/ is an Austronesian language spoken in North Sumatra province in Indonesia. It is part of a group of languages called "Batak".
There are approximately 2,000,000 Batak Toba speakers, living to the east, west and south of Lake Toba. Historically it was written using Batak script, but the Latin script is now used for most writing.
Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk was involved in translating the Christian Bible into Batak Toba.
The name of this language arises from a rich and complex history of ethnic identity in colonial and post-colonial Indonesia. It is a generic name for the common language used by the people of the districts of Toba, Uluan, Humbang, Habinsaran, Samosir, and Silindung, centered upon the Island of Sumatra; more particularly, at Lake Toba. Linguistically and culturally these tribes of people are closely related. Other nearby communities such as Silalahi and Tongging may also be classified as speakers of Toba Batak.
The term "Toba Batak" is, itself, a derivation of the Toba Batak language. As such, it is used both as a noun and an adjective; both to describe a language, and also to describe the people who speak the language.
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