Newsgroups: sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!cornellcs!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!news.kei.com!ub!dsinc!cpp!aawest
From: aawest@critpath.org (Anthony West)
Subject: Austronesian 'culture-bearing' languages
Message-ID: <DJtp12.p4@critpath.org>
Summary: Are certain widely-spoken island tongues used for modern pop culture?
Organization: Critical Path Project
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 1995 07:34:14 GMT
Lines: 21

What is the 'culture-bearing' status of the following non-official tongues
of Island Asia? (Excluding Tagalog and Malay-Indonesian, which are
governmentally supported.) According to UNESCO, the following languages
have enough speakers that they might support modern cultural industries:
    Ilocano (N. Luzon, Phillipines) - 7 m.
    Cebuano (Visayan Is., Philippines) - 13 m.
    Panay-Hiligaynon (Visayan Is., Philippines) - 7 m.
    Madurese (E. Java) - 10 m.
    Javanese (C. Java) - 62 m.
    Sundanese (W. Java, S. Sumatra) - 26 m.
    Minangkabau (C. Sumatra) - 6 m.

Do any of these language communities produce today:
    Books?
    Newspapers?
    Movies and tv shows?
    Recorded music stars?
    Lower-school curricula?
    University curricula?

Tony West
