Bahasa tanah

Bahasa tanah (Ambonese Malay: bahasa tana; lit. "language of the land") is a collective term referring to the indigenous languages of the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. These languages are primarily used in traditional or ceremonial contexts today. On Seram Island and surrounding areas, bahasa tanah is especially used during traditional rituals known as panas pela.

Among the Maluku people, bahasa tanah is regarded as sacred and superior in status to everyday spoken languages. As a result, these languages are typically known only by elder speakers. In the Banda Islands, bahasa tanah is used in ceremonial chants or songs known as kabata.

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