KUCHING: Four tribal languages spoken by Sarawak ethnics are now extinct, according to Sarawak Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP).
Sarawak DBP director Abang Haliman Abang Julai said that according to researchers, the tribal languages that are now extinct are Seru, Pegu, Bliun and Lelak.
He was speaking after the 2023 Sarawak Tribal Language General Database (PDUBSS) Workshop 2023 here yesterday.
He also said Sarawak DBP will be working with ethnic and race associations in Sarawak to record and document tribal languages that are almost extinct now, Bernama reported.
He said he does not have the actual number of tribal languages that are now almost extinct in Sarawak, but he believed that among the tribal languages that are vanishing are those from the Kejaman and Lakiput tribes.
“So, those who are present here (PDUBSS 2023) are representatives of the ethnic (tribal) groups and they get the opportunity to share the terms or words and we are here to record and store the recordings in our database,” said Abang Haliman.
He also said Sarawak DBP has managed to record between 5,000 and 6,000 Sarawak tribal words in its database this year.
Abang Haliman said that apart from publishing a dictionary of the language involved, Kuala Lumpur DBP will also take and discuss the word to be adapted into the national language.
“Our hope is that every ethnic group, especially in Sarawak, has words (of their tribes) included in our national or official language,” he said.
