Kambera (also known as Sumbanese, East Sumbanese, Oost-Sumbaas, Humba, Hilu Humba, East Sumba, and Sumba) is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken in the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. Kambera is a member of Bima-Sumba subgrouping within Central Malayo-Polynesian inside Malayo-Polynesian. The island of Sumba, located in the Eastern Indonesia, has an area of 12,297 km2. The name Kambera comes from a traditional region which is close to a town in Waingapu. Because of export trades which concentrated in Waingapu in the 19th century, the language of the Kambera region has become the bridging language in eastern Sumba. There are many names for the language Kambera. Its speakers refer to Kambera as hilu Humba ‘Sumbanese language’. In the Dutch literature, Kambera is known as Sumbaneesch, Sumba(a)sch, Oost-Sumbaas and Kamberaas. In Indonesian literature, it is referred as Bahasa Sumba/Kamberaor Bahasa Sumba Timur dalam dialek Kambera (‘Eastern Sumbanese in the Kambera dialect’).
Famous quotes containing the word language:
“Public speaking is done in the public tongue, the national or tribal language; and the language of our tribe is the men’s language. Of course women learn it. We’re not dumb. If you can tell Margaret Thatcher from Ronald Reagan, or Indira Gandhi from General Somoza, by anything they say, tell me how. This is a man’s world, so it talks a man’s language.”
—Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929)