Bahasa tanah

Bahasa tanah (Ambonese Malay: bahasa tana), meaning "language of the land", is the name for a group of native languages in Maluku Islands which currently is usually only used as a means of communication in the context of customs. On Seram Island and its surroundings, bahasa tanah is usually used in traditional ceremonies called panas pela.

By the Maluku peoples, the language of the land is considered to have a higher and more sacred position than the language used every day. Therefore, the bahasa tanah in the Maluku Islands is mostly only known and understood by older speakers. In the Banda Islands, the bahasa tanah is used in traditional poetry or songs known as kabata.

Etymology
The choice of the word "tanah" or "land" (Ambonese Malay: tana) in the term is based on the meaning of land as 'the place of origin of life'. Land is also interpreted as 'the center of life and a place of support'. Apart from that, the term "land" refers to sacred activities, namely traditional events. Land is symbolized as a form of sacredness and authenticity. Therefore, traditional speech in various traditional ceremonies is called the bahasa tanah.

Usage
There are around 117 varieties of bahasa tanah spread across Maluku Province. Some of them have become extinct, and most of the ones that become extinct were bahasa tanah used by Christian negeri, both on Ambon Island, as well as in a small part of Seram Island. The bahasa tanah of the Maluku Christian community was recorded by Rumphius in 1987, namely in the negeri's of Hative and Hitu (Islamic negeri). In his report, he said that the bahasa tanah used in Hative and Hitu was very different from the languages used on adjacent islands such as Ternate, Makassarese, and Banda. The two languages recorded by Rumphius have now been declared extinct. Meanwhile, in the Maluku Muslims community, apart from still being used generally, Also launched was the book Asilulu – English Dictionary by James T. Collins who has been conducting research for quite a long time about the extinction of several bahasa tanah on Ambon Island.