I was born in Indonesia and have spent most of my childhood in South Africa before subsequently returning there (although not in West Sumatra). The Peranakan Minang is the first language of my father and although he didn't transmit it to his children actively, I learnt it during my early teenage years through exposure and self-learning. Currently living in the Philippines and I'm quite keen in learning more about Austronesian languages and their diversity. I speak English, Indonesian/Malay, Afrikaans, Dutch and Minang.
Ever heard of Nasi Padang? The ubiqutuous selection of dish owes its name to the capital city of the West Sumatra province in Indonesia, home to the matriarchal Minang ethnic group that speaks the Minang language, one of the closest relative of Malay. The language is mainly spoken in Western Sumatra and nearby region in Indonesia, yet a substantial Minang speaking population also exists in the Negeri Sembilan state in Malaysia due to migration. In this presentation, we will dwelve further into an oft-forgotten dialect of Minang, the Pondok or Peranakan Minang which is commonly spoken by ethnic Chinese in West Sumatra that have adopted the language of their new homeland over centuries. The Pondok dialect not only incorporates loanwords from other languages such as Hokkien and Dutch, but also created new words that are not used by other Minang speakers. Join the presentation and learn more not only about the language, but also socio-historical aspects of the community and the wider Ranah Minang.