Sundanese (Basa Sunda, in Sundanese script ᮘᮞ ᮞᮥᮔ᮪ᮓ, literally "language of Sunda") is the language of about 27 million people from the western third of Java or about 15% of the Indonesian population.

It appears to be most closely related to Madurese and Malay, and more distantly related to Javanese. It has several dialects, conventionally described according to the locations of the people:

• Western dialect, spoken in the provinces of Banten & some parts of Lampung,
• Northern dialect, spoken in Bogor & northern coastal area of West Java,
• Southern or Priangan dialect, (Bandung & its surroundings),
• Mid-east dialect, spoken in Majalengka & Indramayu,
• Northeast dialect, spoken in Kuningan, Cirebon & Brebes (Central Java), and
• Southeast dialect, spoken in Ciamis, Banjar & Cilacap (Central Java).

Priangan, which covers the largest area of Sundaland (Tatar Pasundan in Sundanese), is the most widely spoken type of Sundanese language, taught in elementary till junior-high schools (equivalent to ninth-year school grade) in West Java and Banten Province.

Writing[link]

Sundanese can be written in different writing systems, the Sundanese script (Aksara Sunda) and Pegon in historical times, and in modern times the Latin script.

Phonology[link]

Sundanese orthography is highly phonetic (see also Sundanese script). There are five pure vowel sounds: a /ɑ/, é /ɛ/, i /i/, o /ɔ/, u /ʊ/, and two neutral^{[clarification needed]} vowels; e /ə/, and eu /ɤ/. The consonantal phonemes (18—but see below) are transcribed with the letters p, b, t, d, k, g, c (pronounced /tʃ/), j, h, ng (/ŋ/, occurs initially), ny /ɳ/, m, n, s /s/, w, l, r (trilled or flapped), and y /j/. Other consonants that originally appear in Indonesian loanwords are mostly transferred into native consonants: f → p, v → p, sy → s, sh → s, z -> j, and kh /x/ → h.

Definition of Sundanese Phonology, according to Yayat Sudaryat (1985:26): "Fonologi nyaeta bagean tina elmu basa anu maluruh jeung medar sora-sora basa, prosesna, selang surupna, jeung parobahanana".

There are 16 consonants in Sundanese phonology, according to Yayat Sudaryat (1991,35): "fonem konsonan (contoid) nya eta sora omongan (fonem) anu kawangun ku hawa anu kaluar tina bayah sarta waktu liwat tikoro aya nu ngahalangan. konsonan nu aya dina basa sunda, nyaeta: /b/, /ts/, /d/, /g/, /h/, /dʒ/, /k/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /p/, /r/, /s/, /n/, /t/, /n'/, kuayana pangaruh basa kosta sok kapanggih konsonan /f/, /v/, /z/ mangrupa fomem nu asalna pangaruh basa kosta, saperti dina kecap: fonem, qur'an, xerox, zakat".^{[clarification needed]}

Based on the statement above, it is clear that the Sundanese language has only 16 consonants, there are three consonants /f, v, z/ which exist in Sundanese as a result of borrowing words, but naturally they are not Sundanese consonants.

Furthermore, Sudaryat does not mention the phonemes /w, j/ as semi vowels, although as vowels, /w, j/ function as a glide sound between two different vowels, as in the words:

• Kueh - /kuweh/
• Muih - /muwih/
• Bear - /beAar/^{[clarification needed]}
• Miang - /mijan/

Phonemes /w/ and /j/ function as glide sounds between two different vowels as in the words:^{[clarification needed]}

• wa - rung
• wa - yang
• ba - wang
• ha - yang
• ku - ya

Basic grammar[link]

Root word[link]

Root verb[link]

Active form[link]

Most of active form in sundanese verb are in their root verb like 'diuk' or 'dahar'. Some other depend on first phonem in root verb:

1. first phoneme in 'd' is eliminated and changed to prefix 'nga' like in 'ngadahar'
2. first phoneme in 'i' is eliminated and changed to prefix 'ng' like in 'nginum'
3. first phoneme in 'b' is eliminated and changed to prefix 'm' like in 'maca'

Negation[link]

(to be written). "Abdi henteu acan neda". (I have not eaten yet.) Explanation: From the above example, "henteu" is used for negative term. "Buku abdi mah sanes nu ieu". (My book is not this one.) Explanation: From the above example, "sanes" is used for negative term.

Question[link]

(to be written).

Dupi -(question)

example:saya

Polite-

• Dupi Bapa aya di bumi? (is your father at home?)
• Dupi bumi di palih mana? (where do you live?)

Passive form[link]

(to be written.) "Buku dibantun ku abdi". (The book is brought by me.) Explanation: "dibantun" (to be brought/passive) and "ngabantun" (active) The other examples: "Pulpen ditambut ku abdi". (The pen is borrowed by me.) "Soal ieu dikerjakeun ku abdi". (This problem is done by me.)

Adjectives[link]

(to be written). example:

teuas (hard), tiis (cool), hipu (soft), lada (hot, usually for foods), haneut (warm), etc.

Prepositions[link]

Place[link]

Time[link]

Miscellaneous[link]

Languages Spoken in Java

See also[link]

• Kidung Sunda
• Sundanese alphabet

References[link]

External links[link]

Sundanese language edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Sundanese-Indonesian and Indonesian-Sundanese Dictionary
• Ethnologue report on Sundanese
• Sundanese converter Latin-Sudanese script (Aksara Sunda)
• Sundanese-Indonesian Translator