Blagar people

Last updated
Blagar
Total population
10,000 (2014) [1]
Regions with significant populations
Indonesia (Pantar and Pura)
Languages
Blagar, Alorese, Alor Malay, and Indonesian
Religion
Islam (predominantly) and Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Alorese  • Abui  • Kui

The Blagar people is an ethnic group that inhabits Pantar and the surrounding islands in Alor Regency in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. They are spread across several districts, namely East Pantar and Pura Island districts. The population of the Blagar people is not very large, it is not yet known for certain how many people live in East Pantar and Pura Island districts. [2] However, it is estimated that there were around 10,000 Blagar people in 2014. [1]

Contents

Language

The Blagar people speak the Blagar language, which is spread over the East Pantar district, namely in Batu village (Tuabang, Bikolang and Kolijahe hamlets) and Nule village (Nuhawala and Treweng hamlets), and on Pura Island (Retta village). [2] [3] This language has three dialects, namely the Kolijahe, Pura, and Retta dialects. The Blagar language is used by local residents in various ceremonies such as births, marriages, and deaths, as well as ceremonies of a supplicatory nature, asking for rain, harvest thanksgiving, and others.

At present, there is a serious threat of extinction of the Blagar language, the younger generation prefers to use Indonesian or Alor Malay because they are afraid of being considered uneducated or less prestigious. [4] This is due to the increasingly widespread interaction between ethnic groups in Alor Regency. Therefore, it will be difficult to know for sure the number of speakers of the language and the population of the ethnic group. [2] However, it is estimated that there were around 10,000 Blagar people who mostly spoke the Blagar language in 2014. [1]

Religion

The Blagar people are one of the indigenous people of Alor who are diversely Muslim, alongside the Alorese and Kui. [5] During the spread of Islam in the archipelago, Islam also entered the territory of the Blagar people. The centers of the spread of Islam in Alor Islands, namely Kabir on Pantar Island and Kalabahi on Alor Island. The spread of Islam occurred in the 15th and 16th centuries. Those who spread Islam came from Makassar to Kabir, while in Kalabahi, they generally came from Ternate, Bima, Java, and Pagaruyung. [2]

Livelihood

The Blagar people generally make their living by farming and fishing. The agricultural commodities they often grow are corn and sweet potatoes. [2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in danger". www.unesco.org. UNESCO . Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Melalatoa, M. Junus (1995). Ensiklopedi Suku Bangsa di Indonesia (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Department of Education and Culture. p. 175.
  3. ↑ Wakidi (1989). Morfo-Sintaksis Bahasa Blagar (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Department of Education and Culture. ISBN   9794590436.
  4. ↑ Steinhauer, Hein (2014). "Blagar". In Schapper, Antoinette (ed.). The Papuan Languages of Timor, Alor and Pantar: Volume 1: Sketch Grammars. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. pp. 147–219. ISBN   9781614515241.
  5. ↑ Syukrie, A. Hakim (22 August 2019). "Jelajah Situs Islam Pulau Alor". hakiemsyukrie.wordpress.com (in Indonesian). Mushaf & Mosque Studies. Retrieved 2025-12-30.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.