The Banjar Alphabet

Banjar is an Austronesian language ^[1] spoken by approximately 4 million people in South Kalimantan province of Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan). Banjarmasin, the provincial capital, is the main center of the Banjar-speaking community.

Banjar is also spoken across other parts of Kalimantan and throughout Indonesia due to the widespread trading activity of the Banjar people. It functions as a regional lingua franca in parts of Borneo where different ethnic groups interact.

The Banjar Sultanate ^[1] was a powerful Islamic kingdom established in the 16th century in South Kalimantan. It controlled extensive trade networks across Borneo and was a major regional power for over three centuries, until the Banjar War (1859–1905) led to Dutch colonial control.

The sultanate spread Islam and the Banjar language across the region. The Banjar War, also called the War of Banjarmasin, was one of the longest and most significant anti-colonial conflicts in Indonesian history. Today, the Banjar cultural identity remains strong in South Kalimantan.

Banjar is closely related to Malay ^[2] and Indonesian, all belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of Austronesian. Banjar is sometimes classified as a Malay dialect, but it has sufficient differences in phonology, vocabulary, and grammar to be considered a separate language by most linguists.

Most Banjar speakers are bilingual in Indonesian (the national language). Banjar borrows from Javanese, Arabic (via Islam), and Dutch (colonial period) in addition to its Malay-related core vocabulary. The language remains actively used in the home and community.

Banjar has a significant layer of Arabic loanwords ^[1] due to centuries of Islamic influence. Words related to religion, law, ethics, and Islamic scholarship are often of Arabic origin — terms like shalat (prayer), masjid (mosque), and ustadz (Islamic teacher).

The Banjar people have a strong Islamic scholarly tradition, and historically many Banjar ulama (Islamic scholars) studied in Mecca and Medina. The most famous Banjar Islamic scholar, Syekh Muhammad Arsyad al-Banjari (1710–1812), wrote foundational texts on Islamic law in Malay that are still used today.

Banjar traditional culture (known as adat Banjar) ^[1] is deeply shaped by Islam, maritime trade, and the river-based environment of South Kalimantan. Traditional arts include dancing (Tari Baksa Kembang), music (gamelan banjar), and handicrafts such as rattan weaving and gold jewelry.

The Banjar people are famous for their precious stone trading — Martapura city in South Kalimantan is Indonesia's diamond-polishing center. The Banjar language carries a rich vocabulary of traditional arts, Islamic scholarship, and merchant culture.

Banjar is a vigorous regional language ^[2] with approximately 4 million speakers and active use across South Kalimantan. It is used in local media (radio, television), regional government contexts, and as a community language across the Banjar diaspora in Indonesia.

The language is recognized as a regional language of South Kalimantan province. Banjar-language radio stations, newspapers, and digital media exist, helping maintain the language among younger generations alongside the dominant Indonesian.

Jukung is a traditional outrigger canoe ^[1] used by the Banjar people on the rivers and coastal waters of South Kalimantan. The Banjar are a river-adapted people — the city of Banjarmasin is built on a network of rivers and canals, earning it the nickname "City of a Thousand Rivers".

The jukung and river life are central to the Banjar cultural identity expressed through the language. Traditional floating markets (pasar terapung) on the rivers of Banjarmasin are a famous feature of Banjar culture, where commerce, language, and daily life intersect on the water.

Banjar grammar features prefixes, suffixes, and infixes ^[2] typical of Malay-related languages. The first-person pronoun in Banjar is ulun (formal) or aku (informal), and the second-person is ikam — different from standard Indonesian.

Banjar uses a system of focus morphology similar to other Austronesian languages, and has a rich vocabulary of traditional terms related to Islamic practice, river life, and trade that distinguish it from standard Indonesian. Reduplication is used for plural and iterative meanings.