Jakarta (DMS) – The decline of regional languages across Indonesia continues unabated, driven by social and cultural changes. The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) emphasizes the urgent need for preservation efforts to maintain the nation’s cultural heritage. Indonesia is home to 726 regional languages still spoken today; yet, many face decline due to territorial expansion, migration, and the dominance of majority languages. Such concerns were front and center at The 2nd International Conference on Language and Literature Preservation (ICLLP 2025), organized by BRIN's Center for Language and Literature Preservation Research, alongside Suluh Insan Lestari and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) International, held on February 20 at BRIN Gatot Subroto, Jakarta.
During the conference, Zainal Abidin, a researcher at BRIN, shared findings from his research on the language shift within the Duanu community located in Riau, particularly within the Kateman district. The Duanu people, initially seafaring communities, have undergone significant social changes following relocations to permanent settlements due to administrative policies. "Due to adaptation to life on land and interactions with other communities using the Malay language, the use of the Duanu language has significantly declined. The community prefers to use Malay and Indonesian for everyday interactions," he reported, highlighting the shift.
Abidin also pointed to the alarming statistic of sustainability for the Duanu language, which stands at just 0.35, marking it as critically endangered. The main factors contributing to this decline include the dominance of other languages, societal attitudes toward regional dialects, and the lack of adequate documentation. "Parents prioritizing Indonesian to help their children achieve higher education also accelerates this language shift. Concrete actions are required to revitalize the Duanu language to prevent its extinction," he added.
Similarly concerning is the research conducted by Rissari Yayuk, who investigated the role of kitchen lexicons within Banjar proverbs. According to her findings, Banjar proverbs, rich with local wisdom, are becoming increasingly rare, particularly among younger generations. "There are 23 kitchen-related lexicons within 40 Banjar proverbs reflecting social conditions, human character, and daily life. Yet, modernization is causing the use of these proverbs to diminish, which poses the risk of losing them over the coming generations," she stated.
Adding to the discourse, Deni Karsana conducted research on the Lauje language, facing minimal documentation. Through descriptive linguistics, he examined syntactic and semantic structures, discovering both endocentric and exocentric phrases forming the sentence structure of Lauje. “This research serves as the initial step to deepen our comprehension of Lauje and provides groundwork for its documentation and conservation,” Karsana explained.
These various studies reflect challenges seen across Indonesia's regional languages, which are intertwined not only with linguistic aspects but also with social, economic, and cultural factors. The dominance of majority languages, social stigma, and insufficient documentation can hasten the extinction of regional languages. Therefore, comprehensive strategies are necessary, including integrating regional languages within educational curricula, developing media channels utilizing these languages, and systematizing documentation through linguistic research.
The pressures facing languages such as Duanu and Pattae require collective action from the government, academia, and communities. Ratnawati's research on the Pattae language, spoken by the Pattae ethnic group from Polewali Mandar, Sulawesi Barat, echoed these sentiments during the conference. She emphasized the language’s cultural significance, saying, “The Pattae language is part of Indonesia’s cultural heritage. Unfortunately, like many regional languages, it faces challenges arising from social and economic factors, as well as the dominance of other languages.”
She suggested the urgency of implementing conservation, revitalization, and thorough documentation processes for languages such as Pattae. “With this study, we hope to inspire society and the government to collectively protect regional languages. This includes not only Pattae but also other languages across Sulawesi Barat,” Ratnawati added.
The language mapping efforts shared by Valantino Pamolango of Yayasan Pendidikan Arunika Bangsa illustrated the linguistic situation surrounding the Banggai region of Central Sulawesi, covering languages including Saluan, Banggai, Balantak, and Andio, highlighting their vulnerabilities.
With human interaction increasingly dominated by globalization and technological advancements, regional languages face their most formidable challenges. Researchers warn without urgent measures from the government, academic institutions, and the public, threatened regional languages might vanish altogether within decades. Through concrete initiatives, Indonesia’s regional languages can remain vibrant, preserving rich cultural legacies for generations to come.