The unique languages of Wallacea aka Eastern Indonesia

Originally Posted by 222
Nice sharings!

Yes, like I said before, the Papuan and generally Eastern Indonesia consists 2 to 3 groups:
1) Austronesians (Non-Melanesian)
2) Papuan/Melanesian (Non-Austronesian)
3) mix both Melanesian-Austronesian, mainly in Timor Isle, Malukus Islas, Nusa Tanggara and Papua Isle.

The largest Austronesian group in the world is actually Javanese, consist about similar amount of Filipino population: 95 millions speakers.

Many of non-Javanese even learn and can speak Javanese due to assimilations whether they move to Java or the Javanese move to outside Java Island.

Java Island was one of the centre of powerful kingdoms, civilizations, economics, trade centers and governmental in SouthEast Asia maritime since about 5th CE in Hinduism-Buddhism era (pra-Islamic era), so no wonder till today she is still "ruling" large amounts of SouthEast Asia maritime islands, except Philippines and eastern part of Papua Island.

Another one is Sumatra and Malaya peninsula with Sri Vijaya Empire raising up.

The large parts of Philippines, Sulawesi and most of Eastern Indonesia were not really into Buddhism-Hinduism spheres.

Many indigenous tribals still retain their genuine folk religions and cultural with minimal Hinduism touches,

The Islamic and Arabic influences in religious and dress codes come lots there since Ternate-Tidore Sultanate which was the powerful Malay-Halmahera Sultanate control routes of Spicy Trade in Maluku Seas during Dutch colonization era in the 17th~18th CE.

Nowadays, Islamic sphere influences and movements grow stong and stronger in East Indonesia due to many migrations and influence controls from western part of Indonesia,
and many movements from South Filipino Muslims to central Philippines areas.

Many of them carry Arabic and some Spaniards genes due to intermarriages between Middle Eastern traders and indigenous people centuries ago.

Javanese speakers is nearly about 100 millions, same about Tagalog of Philippines.

Malay and Sundanese make each groups in about 45 million speakers mainly in Malaya, Sumatra and parts of Borneo and even Cocos (Australia).

But due to Bahasa Indonesia was derived from Malay dialect in 1920s, as Mr. Mohammed Yamen from Indonesia decided to use Malay (once the Lingua Franca in Western Indonesia) as national Indonesian Bhasa.

250 million of people in the world speak Bahasa Indonesia, which is actually Malay variant from Sumatra and Malaya peninsula.

Tagalog is actually not coming reach about 100 millions, but due to Tagalog is stated as national language of Philippines, the citizen use Tagalog as first language.

But recently, many Filipino youngsters prefer English than Tagalog as national speech, which many also still retain their regional dialects.

Cebuano is second largest Filipino language after Tagalog.

And this is what me as an Indigenous have issue with.I wish Java and the Indo government would cool it with their forced assimilation and transmigrations to Eastern Indonesia,because our cultures are actually the most ancient and original in the whole of Southeast Asia and have alot of secrets that could give us more information to the Austronesian migrations to both the Indian and Pacific Oceans.If we lose our original Alifuru and Papuan tribes and Tanah and Papuan languages,it would be tragic.More autonomy and independence for Maluku and Papua!

come back tupallo