Languages of Timor-Leste
languages of a geographic region
The languages of Timor-Leste include both Austronesian and Papuan languages. (See Timor–Flores languages and Timor–Alor–Pantar languages.) The lingua franca and national language of Timor-Leste is Tetun, 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 (often more so than Tetun). A dialect of Malay-based creole called Dili Malay is spoken by a number of residents in the capital Dili, which has borrowed words mostly from Portuguese and Tetun. Both Portuguese and Tetun have official recognition under the Constitution of Timor-Leste, as do other indigenous languages, including: Bekais, Bunak, Galoli, Habun, Idalaka, Kawaimina, Kemak, Lovaia, Makalero, Makasae, Mambai, Tokodede and Wetarese.
The rise of lingua francas in the linguistically diverse Timor-Leste and the domination of several clans over others have led to the extinction of many smaller languages. However, some of them are still in use as ritual languages or cants. Research done in the mid-2000s by the Dutch linguist Aone van Engelenhoven, for example, revealed that the Makuva language, formerly spoken by the Makuva tribe but believed to have been extinct since the 1950s, was still used occasionally.
In 2007, Van Engelenhoven discovered the existence of another language that was essentially extinct, called Rusenu.
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