Iban language

The Borneo Literature Bureau was founded by the Crown Colony of Sarawak to collect and write down oral Iban literature.[4] It was shut down following the opening of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka branch offices in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu in 1977, though other smaller publishers continue in this niche such as the Kuching based company Klasik, churches and state outlets like Federal Government's Department of Information with its Pembrita magazine. While Sarawakian media is controlled by the federal government just as its Peninsular and Sabahan counterparts, Iban language news reporting such as newspapers are far more disadvantaged due to higher costs of printing in high quality imported paper and perceived low advertising revenue compared to those in English and Chinese dailies.[5]

In 2008, Iban was taught as an elective language subject in Malaysian Form 5 secondary schools for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificate examination.[2] A survey done in Sarawak in 2008 showed that a total of 367 primary schools and 55 secondary schools have taught the Iban subjects since 1968. The number of primary schools offering the Iban language subject increased to 1,264 in 2015 while the number of secondary schools reduced to 52 in 2015. Most of the schools are located in Kapit, Sibu, Sri Aman, and Sarikei Divisions where there are significant Iban population. The Iban language subject is also offered in undergraduate programmes in two teachers' institutions in Sarawak. In Sultan Idris Education University, Perak, the Iban language is offered as a minor subject for Iban students majoring in Malay studies.[2]

The Iban language is also allowed in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly with the special permission from the Speaker and simultaneous interpretations will be provided during the assembly sitting and when written into the hansard.[2]

Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) expanded their Iban radio broadcasts to 10 hours on Sundays and 9 hours on rest of the week by the 1980s as WaiFM[5][2] Cats FM is the first commercial radio station to broadcast in Iban opening in 1997.[5] RTM later opened their first Borneo-oriented channel TVi in 2011 which later became TV Okey which includes a 30-minute Iban news slot.[6] The Utusan Borneo and The Borneo Post newspapers have Iban language sections. The Pegari Iban language magazine is also published regularly.[2]

Some churches in Sarawak conduct services in the Iban language.[2]

Rentap's battle cry while fighting against James Brooke in 1860s “Agi Idup, Agi Ngelaban!” (“I will fight as long I will live!”) was adopted by Sarawak Royal Ranger Regiment as their motto. The battle cry is also used in speeches and car stickers to evoke the warrior spirit of the Iban people.[2] The word "Oo-ha", an Iban call for celebration, was popularised by the former chief minister of Sarawak Adenan Satem as a form of "hello" before giving speeches in order to motivate a crowd.[2] The Chinese-predominant Sarawak United Peoples' Party used the Iban word "Sa'ati" (United) as their party slogan.[7][8] Another Chinese-predominant Sarawak Democratic Action Party has been using the Iban language to garner support from the Iban population.[9][10] Other words include "Segulai sejalai" (going together} that was selected as the slogan for Malaysian national unity,[11] and "Ngap Sayot" (literally means "eat vegetables") used by Sarawak FA football team battle cry to signify taking down opponents just like eating vegetables.[12][13][14]

Plans for an independent regional Sarawakian broadcaster were discussed since 2017 under the state government of then-Chief Minister (later State Premier) Abang Johari Tun Openg who had complained of indifference in coverage of state affairs from mainstream Kuala Lumpur-based broadcasters.[15] This would later lead to the launch of TVS under Sarawak Media Group in 2020 first as a streaming-only channel before transitioning to free-to-air television; TVS provides Iban language news and programming alongside official state languages Malay and English as well as Chinese.[16][17]

Sample text (Luke 2:10-11)

Mualang

10 Baroꞌ mlikat Tuhan Allah madah ke sidaꞌ: “Nang kitaꞌ takot! Ku madah brita bayek ari Tuhan Allah ke kitaꞌ, te nyuroh gaga ugaꞌ bansa.

11 Malam toꞌ de kuta Daod^e udah adai Penyelamat kitaꞌ, Al Maseh Raja te dedanyi Tuhan Allah, nyaꞌ mah Tuhan.

Iban

10 Tang ku melikat nya bejaku ngagai sida, “Anang takut! Laban aku mai ngagai kita Berita Manah ti ngasuh ati semua mensia gaga:

11 sehari tu, di nengeri David, Juruselamat kita udah ada, iya nya Kristus ti Tuhan!

Sample phases in Iban Remun

• Entai ku ngilau – Nadai aku meda. ('I did not see it.')
• Entauk ku badak – Enda ku nemu. ('I don't know.')

Iban has the following consonant inventory:[18]

Iban has a six-vowel system, with five cardinal vowels plus schwa:[19]

Vowel sounds are nasalized when preceded by a nasal consonant.[19]

Iban has separate words for inclusive and exclusive we, and distinguishes singular, dual, and plural.[24]

Sample

• Ke nuan 'for you'
• Ke aku 'for me'
• Ke kami 'for us'
• Bup aku 'my book'
• Bakih aku 'my friend'
• Apai aku 'my father'
• Gamal nuan 'your look'
• Sulu nuan 'your beloved'
• Sekula kami 'our school'
• Ke pangan aku 'for my beloved'
• Ke anak aku 'for my child'
• Ari indai di 'from your mother'
• Ari bakih aku 'from my friend'

Pronouns are primarily put after subjects.

Sample phases:

• baju tu engku 'This shirt is mine.'
• Tu enggi nuan 'This is yours.'
• Siti nyin enggi tua 'That one belongs to both of us.'

There are three demonstrative determiners in Iban. Tu 'this, these' is used for a noun which is generally near to the speaker, nya 'that, those' is used for a noun which is generally far from the speaker, and nyin, which is the furthest from the speaker.

These words can also act as demonstrative pronouns where they can stands on theirs own, replacing rather than modifying a noun.

Example:

• Nyamai tu. 'This is good.'
• Ok meh nya. 'That's ok.'
• Peda di nyin dih. 'Look at that.'

In Iban, demonstrative pronouns are words that show which person or thing is being referred in relation to the location of the addressee to the speaker. There are three demonstrative pronouns in Iban depending on location to the speaker. They can only be used to refer to an addressee (human) and cannot be used to refer to inanimate objects.

Examples:

• Nama gaga iya tu baka nya? 'Why is this person acting in such a way?'
• Kini ke iya nya tadi? 'Where is he going?' (Referring to the second closest person to the speaker)
• Ni iya nyin tadi dih? 'Where is the other (person) one?' (referring to third person which is the furthest from the speaker)

Demonstrative adverbs in Iban are closely related to the demonstrative pronouns in Iban grammar. For example, corresponding to the demonstrative pronouns are the adverbs such as kitu ('going here'), kia ('going there') and kin ('going there (farthest)') equivalent adverbs corresponding to the demonstrative pronoun this are tu, nya and nyin.

Examples:

• Kitu nuan. 'Come here (you).'
• Kini di kia? 'Why are you going there?' (within the sight of the speaker)
• Aram kin tua. 'Let's go there.' (referring to location far away from speaker)

Examples:

• Ditu ku nganti nuan. 'I wait for you here.'
• Dia ku nganti nuan. 'I wait for you there.' (not far from the speaker's location)
• Din ku nganti nuan. 'I wait for you there.' (referring to a far place)

Iban also has a set of adverbs referring to manner. They are a combination of baka (ke) ('like/as') and the abbreviated determiner forms tu, nya and nyin.

Examples:

• Aku ka iya baka tu. 'I want it to be like this.'
• Nama di ngaga iya baka nya? 'Why did you treat him like this?'
• Uji gaga di baka ke nyin. 'Try to do it like that.'

Iban also has a few interrogative words: sapa, nama, ni, lapa, kemaya and berapa.

• Sapa – Who

• Nama – What

• Ni – Where (Dini and Ba ni also used to ask for specific location)

• Lapa – Why (Nama kebuah also used.)

• Kemaya – When

• Berapa – How many

• Bakani – How

For extended family in Iban

Example;

• Anak buah bini ku nya. 'That is my wife's nibling.'
• Anak buah ke indu laki ku nya. 'That is my husband's niece.'
• Entua laki ku nya. 'That is my husband's parent-in-law.'
• Entua ke laki laki ku nya. 'That is my husband's father-in-law.'
• Petunggal bini ku nya. 'That is my wife's cousin.'

Example:

• Tulat tua betemu. 'We'll meet again the third day.'

• Ensanus ku bisi meda iya 'I saw him two days ago.'

The Iban calendar is one month ahead of the Gregorian calendar as follows:

Human Rights

English: Article 1 – All human beings are born free and equal in rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Malay: Perkara 1 – Semua manusia dilahirkan bebas dan sama dalam hak. Mereka dikurniakan akal dan hati nurani dan harus bertindak antara satu sama lain dalam semangat persaudaraan.

Standard Iban: Pekara 1 : Semua mensia ada meratai enggau hak ke sebaka. Sida diberi pemikir enggau ati tuchi lalu patut begulai enggau diri sama diri dalam serakup entara bala menyadi.

Balau Iban Dialect: Pekaha 1 : Semua mensia ada bebas enggau hak ti sebaka. Sida dibehi pikih enggau ati behesi alu patut begulai enggau dihi sama dihi dalam gehempung entaha bala menyadi.

Other Iban Dialect: Pekaro 1 : Semuo mensio ado bebas enggau hak ti sebako. Sida diberi pikir enggau ati tuchi lalu patut begulai enggau diri samo diri dalam serakup entaro balo menyadi.

Pikaro 1 : Simuo minsio ado bibas nggau hak ti sibako. Sida dibiri pikir enggau ati tuchi lalu patut bigulai nggau diri samo diri dalam sirakup intaro balo minyadi.