Nusa Penida Balinese

The Nusa Penida Balinese (referred to by its speakers as basa Nosa) is a dialect of the Balinese language spoken by the local Balinese people inhabiting Nusa Penida, an island located to the south of Bali which is administratively part of Klungkung Regency. This dialect is considered the most distinct among Balinese dialects, possessing unique features not found in other varieties. Due to Nusa Penida's geographical isolation from mainland Bali, it is sometimes incomprehensible to mainland Balinese speakers. The Nusa Penida dialect is often classified as a subset of the Bali Aga dialect spoken by the Bali Aga people in the highland regions of Bali.

The uniqueness of the Nusa Penida dialect compared to the mainland Balinese dialect generally lies in phonological, morphological, and intonation aspects. The Nusa Penida dialect differs not only in terms of intonation but also in its vocabulary. The intonation of Nusa Penida speakers, which tends to be short in duration and high in pitch, also poses challenges for mainland Balinese speakers to understand what is being said. In addition, like the Bali Aga dialect, the Nusa Penida dialect lacks the speech register system that is found in lowland Balinese dialects.