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>http://www.pmw.c2o.org/2006/timor4910.html > >It is not fair to say that there are no written rules >of grammar for Tetum, and no consistent spelling. > >There are grammar manuals, and a standardised >orthography, which, while only recently introduced, is >not radicaly different from the forms used in the >press. While there are regional dialects of Tetum, the >form spoken in >Dili, influenced by Portuguese, is widely understood. >However, in the enclave of Oecussi in the West and the >Lautem in the easternmost part of the island, Baikenu >and Fataluku are more widely used, and Indonenesian >often more widely understood than Tetum. > >Of course, neither the Portuguese nor the Indonesians >sought to promote Tetun when they ruled East Timor, so >it is not surprising that people are unaccustomed to >writing it. However, this will change over time and >they will gain the confidence to use it as a literary >language. > >East Timor has nothing to learn from Indonesia about >official language policy, given the way that Jakarta >not only banned Portuguese in East Timor, but also >Chinese in Indonesia itself, not to mentioning >relegating Indonesia's regional languages, with the >possible exception of Javanese, to the inferior status >of mere vernaculars. > >It was surprising to read that not even one journalist >in Diário Nacional understands Portuguese, as it has >more articles in the language than other newspapers, >and has a weekly sister newspaper in Portuguese, >Semanário >Nacional. > >Nobody should be made to change from one language to >another, as happened after the Indonesian takeover in >1975. The Indonesians did not 'ask' the East Timorese >to use Bahasa Indonesia following 'integration' - they >told them to (and how Indonesianists always forget >this!) It is simply a case of what language to use in >what context. > >One interesting development is how Indonesian words >are being made Portuguese, so "mikrolet" becomes >"microlete", in other words "di-Portugis-kan", as well >as "di-Tetun-kan'!

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