Tombulu, also known as Minahasan language is an Austronesian language of northern Sulawesi in Indonesia. It is a Minahasan language, a sub-group of the Philippine languages. It is a local language of the Minahasa people spoken in the city ofTomohon and in the villages under the Kota Tomohon administration such as Rurukan, Pinaras, Kumelembuai, Woloan, and Tara-Tara. It is also spoken in the villages under the administration of the Minahasa Regency in the Tombulu district, Tombariri district, Pineleng district, and two villages in the Sonder district, namely Rambunan and Sawangan.
Vocabulary
The Tombulu language is unique among the Minahasan languages in its pronunciation of the letter l. In the other four Minahasan languages the letter "l" is pronounced as is, but in Tombulu it is pronounced like the "th" of the English language. For example: kulo meaning "white" would be pronounced as kutho
The Lord's Prayer: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory Forever, Amin. Penginaléi Ama’ nai: Ama nai im wana sorga, Loozen nai un ngaranNu Maye mo ung kakolanoanmu Mamualimoma un paazmu ti kaayahaan mo ti sorga Wehape nikai inendo kenu kanen nai takaz maawez Wo ampunganne un sumala nai Tanu nikai mahampung wia setou simala wia nikai Wo tiakkan ipah wali nikai wana an pema'waa Ta'an izoula wia nikai witu kalewo'a Pahpaan niko uman simaka kakolanoan, Wo ung kawasa, wo ung kawangunan takaz kauze-uze na, Ulit
Status
The Tombulu language is in critical need of revitalization. It is not being spoken as a first language in highly populated areas such as Tomohon, Pineleng, and Tanawangko. Traditionally Tombulu-speaking villages such as Woloan, Tara-Tara, Lolah, and Lemoh are not as so today. The Board of Education of the Indonesian government has not offered any help either to the Tombulu language or any other local languages that are in decline. It is responsible for the removal of the Muatan Lokal from the daily curriculum of all grade schools across the nation in the past few years. Muatan Lokal, if available, is a daily class which most provinces in Indonesia use to teach their new generation the local languages. Tombulu is still spoken in villages such as Kayawu, Rurukan, Kumelembuai, Pinaras, Masarang, Suluan, Kembes, Tombuluan, Rumengkor, Kali, Tondangow, Sawangan, and Rambunan all the way to the kids. Once in every month, it is used in sermons in all local churches. At the beginning of 2013, an Indonesian-Tombulu dictionary was first released. A New Testamentversion of the Bible in Tombulu language was released in November 2018.
