Balinese language

Spoken in

• Austronesian Malayo - Polynesian languages Western Malayo Polynesian languages Bali - Sasak - Sumbawa languages Balinese language

Balinese is the language of the Hindu population of the islands of Bali and Lombok, Indonesia. It is spoken by about 3.8 million people, or 2.1% of Indonesia's population. Robust language islands in Sumatra and Borneo result from the transmigration policy of the 70s. It is closely related with Sasak and Sumbawa. The language belongs to the Bali - Sasak - Sumbawa subgroup of the Western Malayo - Polynesian language branch within the Austronesian language family.

The Balinese speak their " Balinese " in three different language levels. There is the Hochbalinesisch ( Singgih ) Mittelbalinesisch ( lumrah ) and the Niederbalinesisch ( sensor). The three levels of language have arisen as a result of the caste system in Bali. The Hochbalinesische is the language of Triwangsa and based on the ancient Javanese court language. From a Sudra (Balinese of the lowest caste ) it is expected that he speaks to a member of the Triwangsa ( members of the Brahmin caste, Ksatriyakaste and Wesyakaste ) polite and respectful in the high-level language. By contrast, uses this against a Sudra of the lower language. Since many Sudra but never get the opportunity to learn the high-level language developed for the formal transport an "average " language - a mixture of the high, the low language and Javanese and Malay sprinklings. The mean language is also considered polite and is often used to strangers, before the caste of their conversation partner is found. The Sudras talk to one another in the usual, lower language. Besides being used as a sacred literary language Kawi.

Balinese is now written in the Latin alphabet, the former Balinese script is similar to the old Javanese script, derived from the Indian Devanagari.