The Sama–Bajaw languages are a well-established group of languages spoken by the Sama-Bajau peoples (sea gypsies) of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Languages
Grimes (2003) identifies nine Sama–Bajaw languages. Balangingi (Bangingi'; Northern Sama) Central Sama (Siasa Sama) Southern Sama (Sinama) Pangutaran Sama Mapun (Kagayan) Yakan Abaknon (Inabaknon) Indonesian Bajau West Coast Bajau
The first six are spoken in the Sulu region of the southern Philippines. Indonesian Bajau is spoken mainly in Sulawesi and West Coast Bajau in Sabah, Borneo. Several dialects of the languages can be identified.
Blust (2006) states that lexical evidence indicates that Sama–Bajaw originated in the Barito region of southeast Borneo, although not from any established group of Barito languages. Ethnologue has followed, calling the resulting group 'Greater Barito'.
Classification
Pallesen (1985:18) classifies the Sama-Bajaw languages as follows.
Sama-Bajaw
Abaknon
Yakan: Northern Yakan, Southern Yakan
Sibuguey (Sama Batuan) Sulu-Borneo Western Sulu: Sama Pangutaran, Sama Ubian Inner Sulu Northern Sulu: Tagtabun Balangingiq, Tongquil Balangingiq, Linungan, Panigayan Balangingiq, Landang-Guaq, Mati, Sama Daongdong, Kawit Balangingiq, Karundung, Pilas Central Sulu: Sama Kaulungan, Sama Dilaut, Sama Kabingan, Sama Musuq, Sama Laminusa, Sama Balimbing, Sama Bannaran, Sama Bangaw-Bangaw, South Ubian Southern Sulu: Sama Tanduq-baas, Sama Simunul, Sama Pahut, Sama Sibutuq, Sama Sampulnaq Sama Lutangan, Sama Sibukuq Borneo Coast Jama Mapun Sabah Land Bajaw: Kota Belud Bajaw, Kawang Bajaw, Papar Bajaw, Banggi Bajaw, Putatan Bajaw Indonesian Bajaw: Sulamu, Kajoa, Roti, Jaya Bakti, Poso, Togian 1, Wallace, Togian 2, Minahasa
The Ethnologue divides Sinama into seven languages based on mutual intelligibility. The seven Sinama languages are Northern Sinama, Central Sinama, Southern Sinama, Sinama Pangutaran from the island of Pangutaran off of Jolo island, Mapun, Bajau West Coast of Sabah and Bajau Indonesia. Jama Mapun, a language from the island of Mapun, formerly known as Cagayan de Sulu, is a related language and sometimes also referred to as Sinama. These classifications are rarely recognized by Sama themselves who instead classify their Sinama by the village or island it originates from. The emic classification of a Sama person's language e.g. Silumpak, Laminusa, Tabawan generally form the different dialects of the seven Sinama or Bajau languages.
Together, West Coast Bajau, Indonesian Bajau, and Mapun comprise a Borneo Coast Bajaw branch in Ethnologue.
Dialects
The following is a list of Sama-Bajaw dialects. Locations and demographics are from Palleson (1985) and Ethnologue (individual languages with separately assigned ISO codes highlighted in bold).
West Coast Bajau
Kota Belud: Kota Belud, 60 km north of Kota Kinabalu
Putatan
Papar: Papar, 50 km south of Kota Kinabalu
Banggi: Banggi Island, north of Kudat in the north of Sabah
Sandakan
Pitas
Kawang: Kawang, 40 km south of Kota Kinabalu
Indonesian Bajau
Jampea
Same’
Matalaang
Sulamu: Sulamu, Kupang Bay, southern Timor. 400 speakers. Kajoa: Kajoa Island, 80 km south of Ternate off the west coast of Halmahera Roti: Roti Island, southwest of Timor. Fewer than 200 speakers. Jaya Bakti: Jaya Bakti, Banggai Regency, central Sulawesi. 3,000 speakers. Poso: Polande, Poso Regency, on the southeast coast of the Gulf of Poso, central Sulawesi Togian 1: Pulaw Enaw, just off the south coast of Togian Island, Gulf of Tomini, Sulawesi Togian 2: Togian Islands, Gulf of Tomini, Sulawesi Wallace: exact location unknown, probably central Moluccas. 117 words collected by Alfred Russel Wallace around 1860.