Manggarai language
The Manggarai language is the language of the Manggarai people from the western parts of the island of Flores, in East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. There are also some pockets of Manggarai speakers in the village of Manggarai in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. It is the native language of more than 730,000 people, based on statistical data reported by Central Agency on Statistics in 2009 for the province of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The data include statistics for the population of the Regency of “Greater Manggarai” on Flores island, which consists of three districts: Manggarai district, West Manggarai district, and East Manggarai district.
Outside Flores island, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia, there are some Manggarai-speaking people in the village of Manggarai in the eastern part of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Formerly a concentration of workers from “Greater Manggarai”, the population is now just a few of the original people, because the majority in the village has now become the Betawi.
The Manggarai language is part of the Austronesian family, and is therefore related to Indonesian and other Malay varieties. Most speakers of Manggarai also speak Indonesian for official and commercial purposes and to communicate with non-Manggarai Indonesians. Riung is often considered a dialect of Maranggai or a separate language.
