Other Definitions
east timor (dest)
east timor (enc)
east timor (dict)
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East-timorLinguistically, East Timor has been described as a complex multilingual mosaic. At least sixteen distinct languages are indigenous to East Timor, some of them closely related, others completely unrelated to each other. These can be divided into more than 30 groups of "dailects" or "sub-dialects". Of these languages, the most widely spoken is Tetum. Since the Indonesian invasion of 1975, Tetum has gradually undergone a transformation - as the Indonesian administration has tried to strangle the language, banning it from schools and formal use, the people see Tetum and other indigenous languages as a living beacon of our identity. Great efforts have been made by people both inside and outside East Timor to undertake the work of developing what has always been an oral language tradition into a written language as well. The Mary Mackillop Institute of East Timorese Studies (MMIETS) works closely with the church inside East Timor on this work, developing educational texts. Portuguese is widely spoken by the generation of Timorese who grew up prior to 1975, and has also often been seen as a language of resistance to military occupation. The younger generation of Timorese, educated under Indonesian occupation, have learnt Bahasa Indonesia as their educational language. But far from "Indonesianising" this generation, it has enabled them to communicate and take action within the Indonesian arena - and to gradually raise awareness amongst the Indonesian community, especially the student community. This holds the East Timorese in good stead for our future good international relations with our> neighbours. Debate about language remains an important process amongst Timorese. At the 1998 East Timorese Convention the decision was made, transitionally at least, that Portuguese and Tetum would be the national languages of East Timor. English is also highly regarded by many East Timorese as a language vital to our future as a member of our region and wider international community.
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