Makassarese

Makassarese, also known as Makassar, is an Austronesian language spoken by the Makassar people of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It belongs to the Makassaric subgroup of the South Sulawesi branch, and is closely related to other languages in the region such as Konjo. The language forms a key part of the linguistic area around the city of Makassar and its coastal hinterlands.

Geographically, Makassarese is concentrated in the city of Makassar and districts in the surrounding region, including Gowa, Takalar, Maros, and parts of the Pangkajene and Islands Regency. It is also spoken by smaller communities elsewhere in Indonesia and by diaspora groups abroad. In everyday life, many speakers are bilingual in Indonesian, the national language, with Makassarese used in family, community, culture, and local media.

Historically, Makassarese played a significant role as a lingua franca in maritime trade networks across eastern Indonesia and parts of the Malay world, contributing to cultural and lexical exchange. The Makassar Sultanate, active in the 16th and 17th centuries, helped spread its influence in the region.

Writing systems for Makassarese have included the Latin alphabet in modern usage, alongside traditional scripts such as Lontara, which has been used for Makassarese and related languages. In contemporary contexts, Latin orthography is common in education and media, while Lontara remains a historical and cultural reference.

The language is part of the broader South Sulawesi linguistic area, alongside related languages such as Konjo and Bugis, and remains a vital element of Makassar identity and regional communication.