Tetum people

Suku Tetun
Tetun, Belu (Tetum)
	Three Tetum men in Suai, East Timor wearing traditional clothing (2003).
Total population
	950,000 (2015)
Regions with significant populations
Indonesia	500,000
East Timor	450,000
Languages
	Tetum
Religion
	Christianity (Catholicism in East Timor and Protestantism in West Timor)
Related ethnic groups
	Atoni ; Bunak ; Mambai ;

Last updated August 27, 2024

The Tetum, also known as Tetun or Belu in Indonesia, are an ethnic group that are the indigenous inhabitants of the island of Timor.^[2]^[3]^[4] This ethnic group inhabits the Belu Regency in Indonesia and most of East Timor. Their language is called Tetum, which is part of the Austronesian language family.^[4]^[5] Apart from the island of Timor, this ethnic group is also found in Jakarta, Indonesia.^[5]^[6]

Origins

Among the Tetum Terik of Viqueque, it is believed that the first humans emerged from two orfices or vaginas, "Mahuma" and "Lequi Bui", emerging on the ground by climbing sacred tendrils. Therefore, among the Tetum Terik, the door of the house is traditionally referred to as the vagina and the inside is called WOMB, the women's room. According to their beliefs, the Tetum Terik universe, which is divided into the underworld and the upper world, is connected through a woman's vagina. The lower or sacred world is defined as feminine, dominated by women, while the secular and masculine upper world is occupied by men. According to their beliefs, the two worlds must be united, otherwise infertility, disease and death will threaten.^[7]

Based on stories that have been passed down from generation to generation, it is believed that the Tetum ethnic group originally came from Malacca on the Malay Peninsula, then moved to several places before finally arriving on the island of Timor, namely in the eastern part of the island. This story is also believed to be the origin of the founding of the Kingdom of Malacca [ de; id ] in West Timor, which is one of the kingdoms led by the Tetum ethnic group.^[5]

Overview

The Malayo-Polynesian Tetum form the largest ethnic group in East Timor with approximately 450,000 people and the second largest in West Timor with 500,000 people. They only migrated in the 14th century, when according to their records, the Tetum people came from Malacca. First they settled in the centre of the island and pushed the Atoni Meto to the western part of Timor. They then advanced further east and founded four kingdoms, of which Wehali was the most powerful. Likewise, their language became the lingua franca in the centre and east of the island. Even today, Tetums live in the centre of the island on both sides of the border and on the southeastern coast.

The Tetum speak various dialects of Tetum. Tetun Prasa is the official language of East Timor alongside Portuguese. In East Timor alone, over 432,766 people speak Tetum as their first language (2015). Of the different dialects, 361,027 East Timorese stated that Tetun Prasa is their mother tongue, 71,418 mentioned Tetun Terik, and 321 caused Nanaek (2015).^[1]

The historical exonym Belu means 'friend' or 'protector'. Therefore, the eastern part of the island of Timor was called Belu during colonial times.^[8]

In contrast to other Tetun speakers, the "Tetum Terik Fehan" are matriarchally organised, which is otherwise only the case in Bunak and Galoli in East Timor. The Tetum Terik Fehan ethnic group lives in Manufahi, Cova Lima, Bobonaro and Manatuto.^[9]

Culture

Traditional dance

One of the traditional dances of the Tetun ethnic group is the Likurai dance [ id ], which is danced by women to welcome guests or fighters returning from war.^[2]

Wedding

Tetum women who are and have been married traditionally wear tattoos with certain motifs that symbolise their social status. Tetum brides and grooms also have traditional clothing equipped with headdresses, fabrics, necklaces, studs, and other jewellery with distinctive patterns and meanings.^[10]

Related Research Articles

Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor in the eastern part and Indonesia in the western part. The Indonesian part, known as West Timor, constitutes part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Within West Timor lies an exclave of East Timor called Oecusse District. The island covers an area of 30,777 square kilometres. The name is a variant of timur, Malay for "east"; it is so called because it lies at the eastern end of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Mainland Australia is less than 500 km away, separated by the Timor Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Timor</span> Region in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

West Timor is an area covering the western part of the island of Timor, except for the district of Oecussi-Ambeno. Administratively, West Timor is part of East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. The capital as well as its main port is Kupang. During the colonial period, the area was named Dutch Timor and was a centre of Dutch loyalists during the Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949). From 1949 to 1975 it was named Indonesian Timor.

Tetum is an Austronesian language spoken on the island of Timor. It is one of the official languages of Timor-Leste and it is also spoken in Belu Regency and in Indonesian West Timor.

In addition to its classical and modern literary form, Malay had various regional dialects established after the rise of the Srivijaya empire in Sumatra, Indonesia. Also, Malay spread through interethnic contact and trade across the south East Asia Archipelago as far as the Philippines. That contact resulted in a lingua franca that was called Bazaar Malay or low Malay and in Malay Melayu Pasar. It is generally believed that Bazaar Malay was a pidgin, influenced by contact among Malay, Hokkien, Portuguese, and Dutch traders.

The languages of East Timor include both Austronesian and Papuan languages. The lingua franca and national language of East Timor is Tetum, an Austronesian language influenced by Portuguese, with which it has equal status as an official language. The language of the Oecusse exclave is Uab Meto (Dawan). Fataluku is a Papuan language widely used in the eastern part of the country. A dialect of Malay-based creole called Dili Malay is spoken by a number of residents in the capital Dili, it borrowed words mostly from Portuguese and Tetum. Both Portuguese and Tetum have official recognition under the Constitution of East Timor, as do other indigenous languages, including: Bekais, Bunak, Galoli, Habun, Idalaka, Kawaimina, Kemak, Lovaia, Makalero, Makasae, Mambai, Tokodede and Wetarese.

Bobonaro is a municipality in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste commonly known as East Timor. It is the second-most western municipality on the east half of the island. It has a population of 92,045 and an area of 1,376 km².

The Atoni people are an ethnic group on Timor, in Indonesian West Timor and the East Timorese enclave of Oecussi-Ambeno. They number around 844,030. Their language is Uab Meto.

The Bunak people are an ethnic group that live in the mountainous region of central Timor, split between the political boundary between West Timor, Indonesia, particularly in Lamaknen District and East Timor. Their language is one of those on Timor which is not an Austronesian language, but rather a Papuan language, belonging to the Trans–New Guinea linguistic family. They are surrounded by groups which speak Malayo-Polynesian languages, like the Atoni and the Tetum.

The Kemak people are an ethnic group numbering 80,000 in north-central Timor island. They primarily live in the district of Bobonaro, East Timor, while the rest live in the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia.

Atambua is the regency seat of Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

East Timorese Portuguese, or Nusantaran Portuguese, is the variety of the Portuguese language spoken in Timor-Leste. It is one of the official languages of Timor-Leste alongside Tetum. As with other Lusophone countries besides Brazil, the Portuguese language curriculum in East Timor is based on European Portuguese, with some localisations in pronunciation. East Timor is the only sovereign state in Asia with Portuguese as an official language. There is a growing demand for Portuguese-language courses in the country, both at early-learning and tertiary levels of education.

Belu Regency is a regency in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Situated on the north side of Timor island, it adjoins the North Central Timor Regency to the west and the separate nation of East Timor to the east. Established on 20 December 1958, Belu Regency has its seat (capital) in the large town of Atambua.

Wehali is the name of a traditional kingdom at the southern coast of Central Timor, now in Indonesia and East Timor. It is often mentioned together with its neighbouring sister kingdom, as Wewiku-Wehali (Waiwiku-Wehale). Wehali held a position of ritual seniority among the many small Timorese kingdoms.

East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-western half, and the minor islands of Atauro and Jaco. The western half of the island of Timor is administered by Indonesia. Australia is the country's southern neighbour, separated by the Timor Sea. The country's size is 14,950 square kilometres (5,770 sq mi). Dili, on the north coast of Timor, is its capital and largest city.

TransNusa is an airline headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was launched in August 2005, serving various destinations from Kupang, Timor, using aircraft chartered from Pelita Air and Trigana Air Service. In August 2011, TransNusa received its own air operator's certificate (AOC) and scheduled commercial airline permit, operating as a regional carrier. The airline relaunched in 2022 after briefly ceasing operations in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Due to a change in strategy, the airline has since been aligning itself closer a full-service carrier.

Oecusse, also known as Oecusse-Ambeno and formerly just Ambeno, officially the Special Administrative Region Oecusse-Ambeno, is an exclave, municipality and the only Special Administrative Region (SAR) of East Timor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mambai language (Timor)</span> Austronesian language spoken in East Timor

Mambai, also called Mambae or Manbae, is a language spoken by the Mambai people, the second largest ethnic group in the island country of East Timor.

Amarasi is a Central Malayo-Polynesian language of West Timor, and is spoken by the Amarasi. The Amarasi language has about 80,000 native speakers, with four main dialects called Ro'is, Kotos, Tais Nonof, and Ketun, though many differences exist between individual villages. Speakers are interspersed with those of Helong.

Sacato, sometimes spelled Sakato, is a village in East Timor. It is located in the suco of Nipane within the Pante Macassar Administrative Post in the Oecusse Special Administrative Region. It also the main border crossing between the East Timorese exclave of Oecusse and Indonesia.

Cape Fatucama is a cape or large headland a short distance north east of Dili, on the north coast of East Timor. It is best known as the site of the Cristo Rei of Dili, a colossal statue of Jesus Christ.

References

1 2 "TIMOR-LESTE POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS 2015; POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY ADMINISTRATIVE AREA - VOLUME 2 (LANGUAGE); Table 13 Population by mother tongue and age, Timor-Leste" (PDF). Direcção-Geral de Estatística, now the Instituto Nacional de Estatística de Timor-Leste. 2016. Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
1 2 Kristi, Navita; et al. (2012). Astutiningsih (ed.). Fakta Menakjubkan Tentang Indonesia; Wisata Sejarah, Budaya, dan Alam di 33 Provinsi: Bagian 3 [Amazing Facts About Indonesia; Historical, Cultural and Natural Tourism in 33 Provinces: Volume 3] (in Indonesian). Vol. 3. Cipedak, Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia: Cikal Aksara. p. 72. ISBN 978-602-8526-67-8 . Retrieved 1 June 2024.
↑ Dianawati, Ajen (2004). RPUL SD (Rangkuman Pengetahuan Umum Lengkap Sekolah Dasar) [CGKS PS (Complete General Knowledge Summary of Primary School)] (in Indonesian). Wahyu Media. p. 57. ISBN 978-979-3806-65-5 . Retrieved 1 June 2024.
1 2 Siburian, Robert (ed.). Beta Orang Kupang: Mengenal John Haba Lewat Para Sahabat [Beta Orang Kupang: Getting to Know John Haba Through Friends] (in Indonesian). Jakarta, Indonesia: Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia. p. 20. ISBN 978-602-433-432-1 . Retrieved 1 June 2024.
1 2 3 Kana, Christoffel (1 January 1986). Abu, Rifai (ed.). Arsitektur Tradisional Daerah Nusa Tenggara Timur [Traditional Architecture of East Nusa Tenggara] (in Indonesian). Directorate General of Culture. p. 64. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
↑ Kamis (22 November 2018). "Rekam Jejak Hercules, Tokoh Timor yang 'Besar' di Tanah Abang" [The track record of Hercules, the 'great' Timorese figure in Tanah Abang]. CNN Indonesia Online (in Indonesian). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
↑ Trindade, Josh (30 June 2011). "Lulik: The Core Values of Timor-Leste". Academia.edu . p. 11. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
↑ "Geographical names against a volatile background" (PDF). Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use: East Timor. December 1999. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
↑ Niner, Sara (January 2012). "Barlake: an exploration of marriage practices and issues of women's status in Timor-Leste" (PDF). Fundasaun Mahein . p. 144. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
↑ Husni, Muhammad; Siregar, Tiarma Rita (1 January 2000). Perhiasan Tradisional Indonesia [Traditional Indonesian Jewellery] (in Indonesian). Directorate General of Culture. p. 32. Retrieved 1 June 2024.

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Lesser Sunda Islands	Abui Atoni Bali Aga Balinese Bimanese Bunak Helong Kemak Lamaholot Malay Loloan Manggarai Nage Rotenese Sasak Savu Sikka Sumba Sumbawa Tetum
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Tetum people

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