Application of Simalungun Dialect and Literacy

By: Masrul Purba Dasuha, S.Pd

Preliminary
Simalungun language is one of sub Batak language and mother tongue spoken by tribes inhabiting the district Simelungun, Siantar, some areas of Deli Serdang, Serdang Bedagai, Batubara, and Asahan. According to facts and historical , language Simalungun essentially spread to almost all regions in North Sumatra, especially in the eastern region of North Sumatra. This statement is of course based on sufficient evidence in order not to be considered a claim, while the evidence is becoming one of the handles of authors among others many names of places are characterized by Simalungun, such as the village of Huta Rih, Gunung Mariah, Sinombah, Pamatang Ganjang, Bangun Purba, Parbahungan, Tobing Tinggi, Gunung Para, Sipispis, Dolog Marlawan, and Dolog Masihol are all located in Deli Serdang and Serdang Bedagai. Later in Asahan can be seen in the following villages like Pamatang Joring, Parapat Janji, Pagurawan (Pargurouan), Silou Buntu, Silou Lama, Parhutaan Silou, Silou river, Marjanji Acceh (Asih), Pulou Raja, Bandar Pulou, Pamatang Cengkering, BUntu Panei, and Bandar Pasir Mandogei. Until continuously extends to Labuhan Batu, where there are also villages that are identical to Simalungun like Rantau Parapat, Panai Hilir, Panai Tengah, Panai Hulu, and Panei River. From this it can be concluded that the places names are of course established by the Simalungun and very small probability by non-Simalungun, because of the place-names are very nuanced Simalungun. Historically , this was confirmed by the presence of the Simalungun kingdom named Nagur, which in its glory in the fifth century AD to 13th century AD controlled almost all regions in North Sumatra to the south by Lake Toba, to the north bordering the Malacca Strait and then to the west borders the Gayo and to the east bordered by the Sultanate of Siak. With the vast Nagur area coverage, so it is not improbable when the Simalungun establishing settlements in many places.

Dialect
In the development, Simalungun language then undergoes dynamic, this has resulted happening the application of the grouping in Simalungun language. It is characterized by the presence of a number of dialects in Simalungun language such as dialects Sin Raya, Sin Dolog, Sin Purba, Sin Panei, Sin Purba and many other dialects that can not be defined. Of all the dialects, dialect Sin Raya became a major dialects are used as benchmarks or standards in researching about Simalungun language. Why is that? Because of this dialect is recognized not much influenced by the language around him like Toba, Karo and Malay. Karena indeed people in this area is still highly anticipating the effect of the Toba community and the Karo. All the above mentioned dialect is initially the same as the Sin Raya dialect, but due to the rapid influence of the surrounding language that originated from the border, gradually Simalungun language faded originality. Just as experienced by people Simelungun who settled along coastal areas or areas Horisan Toba Lake such as in Girsang Sipangan Bolon, Sidamanik, Pamatang Sidamanik, Dolog Pardamean, Haranggaol Horisan, and Purba; where due to frequent interaction with speakers of Toba , who came from the island of Samosir and surrounding areas, then the language Simalungun in that area a lot of mixed up Toba language.

Similarly, those who live in the district Dolog Panribuan, Jorlang Hataran, Tanoh Jawa, Jawa Maraja Bah Jambi, Huta Bayu Raja, Bosar Maligas, and Ujung Padang, where Simalungun speakers are turning or salih become Toba language speakers, even more dominant Toba than Simalungun, so it is not surprising that people in this area Simalungun many do not know marsahap Simalungun. In Siantar City, district Siantar, Panei, and Panombeian Panei too, too much Simalungun language mixed with Toba language, which is quite a significant number of speakers, but not to eliminate the existence of language Simelungun as happened in the territory of the clan Sinaga. So many people assume that Siantar it is identical to  Toba of the Simalungun. As with the Simalungun people who live in the district Dolog Silou and Silimakuta, where they often interact with the Karo people due to their mutual borders, resulting in Simalungun language many contaminated of Karo language, though not completely.

Another with people who live in the area Simelungun Jaheijahei (district of Bandar, Pamatang Bandar, Masilam Bandar, Bandar Huluan, Gunung Malela, Gunung Maligas, and Dolog Batu Nanggar), where the majority of the people are Muslims and are often contact with the Malays in Deli Serdang and Asahan, both in the field of religion and trade, by accident one by one Malay also adopted into Simalungun language. As a result of this Simalungun people who come from the upper part (Raya, Purba, Panei) Simalungun people in this area often called jaheijahei or mayamaya, because they have memelayukan themselves due to Islam and no longer ignore the things relating to customs and to make things worse they assume the Simalungun jahei-jahei are no longer understand the language Simalungun. But the reality is different, their assumption was wrong, originality and subtlety spoken word actually not much different from the language in the Raya and Simalungun language is still used as a mother tongue by the majority of Simalungun. Although said to be the influence of Malay, it is very little and not so prominent, not as experienced by speakers of ​​other Simalungun language, who in speaking more prominent Toba than Simalungun  or more prominent Karo than Simalungun. But that is unfortunate in many populous areas like Java in district Bandar Huluan, Siantar downstream (Gunung Malela, Gunung Maligas, Tapian Dolog), Dolog Batu Nanggar, and surrounding areas; due to the intensification of communicating, even brotherly relations in the form of marriage with a tribal Java is, it can not be denied if the Simalungun people in this area even many become theirself into Java and it happened in the recent era where their number ( the Javanese ) is increasingly significant.