Riau Malay language

Riau Malay (Riau Malay: Bahase Melayu Riau or Bahaso Melayu Riau, Jawi: بهاس ملايو رياو) is a collection of Malayic languages primarily spoken by the Riau Malays in Riau and the Riau Islands in Indonesia. The language is not a single entity but rather a dialect continuum consisting of numerous dialects, some of which differ significantly from one another. Each of these dialects has its own subdialects or isolects, which also exhibit differences from one another. Due to the influx of migrants from other parts of Indonesia, some Riau Malay dialects have been influenced by other regional languages of Indonesia, such as Bugis, Banjarese and Minangkabau. The Riau Malay dialect spoken on Penyengat Island in Tanjung Pinang, once the seat of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate, was recognized by the Dutch during the colonial era and became the lingua franca across the Indonesian archipelago. The Dutch standardized form of the Penyengat Riau Malay, known as Netherland Indies Malay, eventually evolved into standard Indonesian, the national language of Indonesia. To this day, Riau Malay remains widely used as a lingua franca in Riau and the surrounding regions, alongside Indonesian. Most Riau Malays are bilingual, fluent in both Riau Malay and Indonesian.

Riau Malay is the most widely used regional language in Riau, both before and after the division of the Riau Islands. However, only 65% of the Malay population in Riau use it as their daily language. In addition, Riau Malay can be found in Malay literature, both written and oral. Traditional Malay literary works commonly found in Riau include pantun, syair, gurindam, and hikayat. The use of Riau Malay is under threat due to modernization and the growing influence of standard Indonesian, the official language of education. However, efforts are being made by both the government and local Riau Malay communities to preserve the language. These efforts include promoting the use of traditional oral literature. Additionally, the Jawi script, the traditional writing system of Riau Malay before the introduction of the Latin script during European colonization, is now being taught in schools across Riau as part of the local language curriculum.