Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Bera, Semelai Bera, Serting
CLASSIFICATION		Austro-Asiatic, Aslian, South Aslian
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		sza
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

Compare Sources (5)

Information from: “A Grammar of Semelai” . Nicole D. Kruspe (2004) Cambridge University Press

Vulnerable

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
4,103
Native speakers worldwide

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Unlike most other Aslian language, Semelai is relatively healthy and has not changed much in recent times. Children generally speak the language and are monolingual until schooling in Malay begins. It is inevitable that the use of Semelai will decline as the Semelai take part in wider Malaysian society. Nearby ethnic groups show much greater level of attrition.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Malay

PLACES: Malaysia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Around the shores of Tasek Bera (lake Bera), along the banks of the Bera, Teriang and Serting rivers in south-west Pahang and north-west Negri Sembilan states, and the Muar River in north-west Johore

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
<4,103
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
4,103
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Apart from Semelai proper which has most of the remaining speakers, the Temoq dialect has a few hundred.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: Malaysia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: South central peninsular, southeast of Temerloh

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: No longer spoken in some southern and southwestern areas of former traditional territory.

Ethnic population
6,418
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Data for the ethnic population is from COAC (2003).

PLACES: Malaysia;

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,932
Native speakers worldwide

				World Oral Literature Project						http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			2,932	1000-9999					Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
			2007	East and Southeast Asia	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	349-424	C. Moseley	London & New York: Routledge			David Bradley	Bradley, David. 2007. "East and Southeast Asia." In Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by C. Moseley. 349-424. London & New York: Routledge.	HHOLD	4,103	<4,103	1000-9999	Apart from Semelai proper which has most of the remaining speakers, the Temoq dialect has a few hundred.		Malay	All	Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					No longer spoken in some southern and southwestern areas of former traditional territory.	Malaysia	South central peninsular, southeast of Temerloh
	Cambridge Grammatical Descriptions		2004	A Grammar of Semelai				Cambridge University Press			Nicole D. Kruspe	Kruspe, Nicole D. 2004. "A Grammar of Semelai." Cambridge University Press.	HHOLD		4,103	1000-9999		Malay is used in contact with outsiders	Malay		Vulnerable (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	10	Unlike most other Aslian language, Semelai is relatively healthy and has not changed much in recent times. Children generally speak the language and are monolingual until schooling in Malay begins. It is inevitable that the use of Semelai will decline as the Semelai take part in wider Malaysian society. Nearby ethnic groups show much greater level of attrition.	11	10		Malaysia	Around the shores of Tasek Bera (lake Bera), along the banks of the Bera, Teriang and Serting rivers in south-west Pahang and north-west Negri Sembilan states, and the Muar River in north-west Johore	3.099, 102.622
0199255911			2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer	Oxford University Press	New York			2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.																	3.0,103.0
		16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis	SIL International	Dallas, TX	http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	6,418			Data for the ethnic population is from COAC (2003).										Malaysia;

Semelai

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

4,103

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<4,103

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,932

Discussion

Semelai

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

4,103

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<4,103

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,932

Discussion

Suggest information or improvement

Download language data

Sources of information

Compare Sources