Language quiz

Here’s a recording in a mystery language.

Can you identify the language, and do you know where it is spoken?

Comments (9)

clMarch 4th, 2012 at 9:35 am

Sounds like some variant of Malay/Indonesian or Javanese; the accent and some words sound like they’re from somewhere in the Malay archipelago.

Dan, ad nauseamMarch 4th, 2012 at 8:18 pm

I hear tones and a pronounced trill.

P.March 5th, 2012 at 5:30 am

Could it be Acehnese? Sounds related, anyway.

SathyarthiMarch 5th, 2012 at 3:33 pm

Yes, does sound like a language related to Malay/Bahasa Indonesia…

DaydreamerMarch 5th, 2012 at 8:28 pm

Well, the question is, where that language was spoken before it became extinct.
Maybe some Dayak dialect?

SimonMarch 5th, 2012 at 9:08 pm

Daydreamer – it is a living language, not an extinct one – I forgot to change the question from last week.

It is an Austronesian language.

Vijay JohnMarch 6th, 2012 at 4:19 am

I think I’ll just go with everyone else’s leads and suggest Cham. I seem to hear a retroflex “r” towards the beginning, though…not sure why. (If I’m correct about the retroflex “r,” THEN I’ll change my guess to something weirder – Hiri Motu! LOL).

In reality, I have no idea.

SimonMarch 6th, 2012 at 12:03 pm

The answer is Balinese (Basa Bali), an Austronesian language spoken mainly on the Indonesian island of Bali.

The recording comes from YouTube.

Vijay JohnMarch 11th, 2012 at 6:22 am

I have to say, I’m willing to believe this is Balinese, but I was rather surprised, considering that I had started learning that language not so long ago! Of course, I would have known if I’d heard the introductory music to that clip, but…:-D

Geez. I really seem to be struggling with those Austronesian languages. (I was just listening to Malagasy, a language that is actually relevant to my current job. Right now, I feel like I wouldn’t be surprised if I couldn’t even recognize that, upon hearing it).