Bidayuh, a language spoken by people living in East Malaysia’s Sarawak state, is at risk of disappearing outside its traditional heartland.
Ethnically diverse Sarawak is home to more than 26 indigenous groups and 47 language varieties and while some of these languages remain popular, Bidayuh is declining. Researchers set out to find out why.
Bidayuhs, often referred to as Land Dayak, meaning ‘people of the land’, are the second largest indigenous ethnic group in the region, behind the Iban. And while the Iban make up nearly 30 percent of the Sarawak population, the Bidayuh account for just 7.7 percent.
