Tetum language

The English form Tetum is derived from Portuguese, rather than from modern Tetum. Consequently, some people regard Tetun as more appropriate.{{cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/software/tetum/contributors/cliffMorris-xhtml/index.html|title=A Traveller's Dictionary in Tetun-English and English-Tetun|website=www.gnu.org|access-date=13 June 2018}} Although this coincides with the favoured Indonesian form, and the variant with m has a longer history in English, Tetun has also been used by some Portuguese-educated Timorese, such as José Ramos-Horta and Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo.

File:Timor Sprache en.png. Tetum is in yellow.]]

According to linguist Geoffrey Hull, Tetum has four dialects:{{Cite book |last=Manhitu |first=Yohanes |date=2016 |title=Tetum, A Language For Everyone: Tetun, Lian Ida Ba Ema Hotu-Hotu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uS3GDQAAQBAJ&pg=PR7 |location=New York |publisher=Mondial |page=vii-viii |isbn=9781595693211 |access-date=1 July 2019}}

• Tetun-Dili, or Tetun-Prasa (literally 'city Tetum'), is spoken in the capital, Dili, and its surroundings, in the north of the country. Because of its simpler grammar than other varieties of Tetun, extensive Portuguese loanwords, and supposed creole-like features, Ethnologue and some researchers classify it as a Tetun-based creole.{{Cite book |url=http://ausil.org.au/sites/ausil/files/1997%20Grimes%20etal%20Nusa%20Teng%20Guide.pdf |title=A Guide to the People and Languages of Nusa Tenggara |last1=Grimes |first1=Charles E. |last2=Tom Therik |last3=Grimes |first3=Barbara Dix |last4=Max Jacob |publisher=Artha Wacana Press |year=1997 |location=Kupang |pages=52 |access-date=2019-11-12 |archive-date=2021-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302230957/http://ausil.org.au/sites/ausil/files/1997%20Grimes%20etal%20Nusa%20Teng%20Guide.pdf |url-status=dead }}Hull 2004 This position, however, is also disputed in that while Tetun-Dili may exhibit simpler grammar, this does not mean that Tetun-Dili is a creole.{{refn|Catharina Williams-van Klinken states otherwise,Catharina Williams-van Klinken, 2011 (2nd ed.), Tetun Language Course, Peace Corps East Timor, 2nd ed. 2011, footnote, p.58}}{{Citation |last=Chen |first=Yen-Ling |title=Tetun Dili And Creoles: Another Look |date=2015 |url=http://ling.hawaii.edu/wp-content/uploads/wp-Yen-ling.pdf |work=Working Papers in Linguistics |volume=46 |issue=7 |publisher=University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa}} According to Ethnologue, there were 50,000 native Tetun-Dili speakers in East Timor in 2004 and {{sigfig|374,000|2}} L2 users.
• Tetun-Terik is spoken in the south and southwestern coastal regions. According to Ethnologue, there were 50,000 Tetun-Terik speakers in East Timor in 1995.
• Tetun-Belu, or the Belunese dialect, is spoken in a central strip of the island of Timor from the Ombai Strait to the Timor Sea, and is split between East Timor and West Timor, where it is considered a {{Lang|id|bahasa daerah}} or 'regional language', with no official status in Indonesia, although it is used by the Diocese of Atambua in Roman Catholic rites.
• The Nana'ek dialect is spoken in the village of Metinaro, on the coastal road between Dili and Manatuto.

Tetun-Belu and Tetun-Terik are not spoken outside their home territories. Tetun-Prasa is the form of Tetum that is spoken throughout East Timor. Although Portuguese was the official language of Portuguese Timor until 1975, Tetun-Prasa has always been the predominant lingua franca in the eastern part of the island.

In the fifteenth century, before the arrival of the Portuguese, Tetum had spread through central and eastern Timor as a contact language under the aegis of the Belunese-speaking Kingdom of Wehali, at that time the most powerful kingdom in the island. The Portuguese (present in Timor from c. 1556) made most of their settlements in the west, where Dawan was spoken, and it was not until 1769, when the capital was moved from Lifau (Oecussi) to Dili that they began to promote Tetum as an inter-regional language in their colony. Timor was one of the few Portuguese colonies where a local language, and not a form of Portuguese, became the lingua franca: this is because Portuguese rule was indirect rather than direct, the Europeans governing through local kings who embraced Catholicism and became vassals of the King of Portugal.{{Cite web |url=http://www.asianlang.mq.edu.au/INL/langs.html |title=The Languages of East Timor: Some Basic Facts |last=Hull |first=Geoffrey |date=24 August 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119191225/http://www.asianlang.mq.edu.au/INL/langs.html |archive-date=2008-01-19}}

Following the Carnation Revolution in Portugal in 1974, Indonesia invaded East Timor, declaring it "the Republic's 27th Province". The use of Portuguese was banned, and Indonesian was declared the sole official language, but the Roman Catholic Church adopted Tetum as its liturgical language, making it a focus for cultural and national identity.[http://geo.ya.com/travelimages/timor/languages.html "Tetum and Other Languages of East Timor"], from Dr. Geoffrey Hull's Preface to Mai Kolia Tetun: A Course in Tetum-Praca (The Lingua Franca of East Timor) After the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) took over governance in 1999, Tetun (Dili) was proclaimed the country's official language, even though according to Encarta Winkler Prins it was only spoken by about 8% of the native population at the time, while the elite (consisting of 20 to 30 families) spoke Portuguese and most adolescents had been educated in Indonesian.Encarta-encyclopedie Winkler Prins (1993–2002) s.v. "Oost-Timor. §1.5 Onafhankelijkheid". Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum. When East Timor gained its independence in 2002, Tetum and Portuguese were declared as official languages. The 2010 census found that Tetum Prasa had 385,269 native speakers on a total population of 1,053,971, meaning that the share of native Tetum Prasa/Dili speakers had increased to 36.6% during the 2000s.{{cite book|chapter=Table 13: Population distribution by mother tongue, Urban Rural and District|title=Volume 2: Population Distribution by Administrative Areas, Population and Housing Census of Timor-Leste|url=http://www.mof.gov.tl/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Publication-2-English-Web.pdf|publisher=Timor-Leste Ministry of Finance|page=205}}

In addition to regional varieties of Tetum in East Timor, there are variations in vocabulary and pronunciation, partly due to Portuguese and Indonesian influence. The Tetum spoken by East Timorese migrants living in Portugal and Australia are more Portuguese-influenced, as many of those speakers were not educated in Indonesian.

The Tetum name for East Timor is {{Lang|tet|Timór Lorosa'e}}, which means 'Timor of the rising sun', or, less poetically, 'East Timor'; {{Lang|tet|lorosa'e}} comes from {{Lang|tet|loro}} 'sun' and {{Lang|tet|sa'e}} 'to rise, to go up'. The noun for 'word' is {{Lang|tet|liafuan}}, from {{Lang|tet|lia}} 'voice' and {{Lang|tet|fuan}} 'fruit'. Some more words in Tetum:

Image:Kursu portuges 4.jpg (left) and Tetum (right). From a Portuguese course for Tetum speakers. The text says: "Our generation sometimes has difficulty distinguishing between 'j' and 'z'"]]

• {{Lang|tet|aas}} – 'high'
• {{Lang|tet|aat}} – 'bad'
• {{Lang|tet|ai}} – 'tree'
• {{Lang|tet|ai-fuan}} – 'fruit'
• {{Lang|tet|ai-manas}} – 'spice'
• {{Lang|tet|bee}} – 'water'
• {{Lang|tet|belun}} – 'friend'
• {{Lang|tet|boot}} – 'big'
• {{Lang|tet|di'ak}} – 'good'
• {{Lang|tet|domin}} – 'love'
• {{Lang|tet|ema}} – 'person, people'
• {{Lang|tet|fatin}} – 'place'
• {{Lang|tet|feto}} – 'woman'
• {{Lang|tet|foho}} – 'mountain'
• {{Lang|tet|fulan}} – 'moon/month'
• {{Lang|tet|funu}} – 'war'
• {{Lang|tet|hamlaha}} – 'hungry'
• {{Lang|tet|haan}} – 'eat'
• {{Lang|tet|hahán}} – 'food'
• {{Lang|tet|hemu}} – 'drink'
• {{Lang|tet|hotu}} – 'all'
• {{Lang|tet|ida}} – 'one'
• {{Lang|tet|kalan}} – 'night'
• {{Lang|tet|ki'ik}} – 'little'
• {{Lang|tet|kraik}} – 'low'
• {{Lang|tet|labarik}} – 'child'
• {{Lang|tet|lafaek}} – 'crocodile'
• {{Lang|tet|lais}} – 'fast'
• {{Lang|tet|lalenok}} – 'mirror'
• {{Lang|tet|laran}} – 'inside'
• {{Lang|tet|lia}} – 'language'
• {{Lang|tet|liafuan}} – 'word' (from {{Lang|tet|lian}} 'voice' and {{Lang|tet|fuan}} 'fruit')
• {{Lang|tet|lian}} – 'voice', 'language'
• {{Lang|tet|loos}} – 'true', 'tebes' also acts as a synonym.
• {{Lang|tet|loron}} – 'day'
• {{Lang|tet|lokraik}} – 'afternoon'
• {{Lang|tet|tauk}} – 'scared'
• {{Lang|tet|mane}} – 'man'
• {{Lang|tet|maromak}} – 'god'
• {{Lang|tet|moris}} – 'life'
• {{Lang|tet|rai}} – 'country'
• {{Lang|tet|tasi}} – 'sea'
• {{Lang|tet|tinan}} – 'year'
• {{Lang|tet|tebes}} – 'very'
• {{Lang|tet|teen}} – 'dirt', 'sediment'
• {{Lang|tet|tos}} – 'hard'
• {{Lang|tet|uluk}} – 'first'
• {{Lang|tet|ulun}} – 'head'

Words derived from Portuguese:

• {{Lang|tet|adeus}} – 'goodbye'
• {{Lang|tet|ajuda}} – 'help'
• {{Lang|tet|aprende}} – 'learn', from {{Lang|pt|aprender}}
• {{Lang|tet|arkitetura}} – 'architecture', from {{Lang|pt|arquitetura}}
• {{Lang|tet|arkuiris}} – 'rainbow', from {{Lang|pt|arco-íris}}
• {{Lang|tet|aviaun}} – 'airplane', from {{Lang|pt|avião}}
• {{Lang|tet|demais}} – 'too much'
• {{Lang|tet|desizaun}} – 'decision', from {{Lang|pt|decisão}}
• {{Lang|tet|deskulpa}} – 'sorry', from {{Lang|pt|desculpa}}
• {{Lang|tet|doutor}} – 'doctor'
• {{Lang|tet|edukasaun}} – 'education', from {{Lang|pt|educação}}
• {{Lang|tet|ekipamentu}} – 'equipment', from {{Lang|pt|equipamento}}
• {{Lang|tet|eletrisidade}} – 'electricity', from {{Lang|pt|electricidade}}
• {{Lang|tet|embaixada}} – 'embassy'
• {{Lang|tet|emerjensia}} – 'emergency', from {{Lang|pt|emergência}}
• {{Lang|tet|enjeñaria}} – 'engineering', from {{Lang|pt|engenharia}}
• {{Lang|tet|entaun}} – 'so', 'well', from {{Lang|pt|então}}
• {{Lang|tet|envezde}} 'instead of', from {{Lang|pt|em vez de}}
• {{Lang|tet|eskola}} – 'school', from {{Lang|pt|escola}}
• {{Lang|tet|esperiénsia}} – 'experience', from {{Lang|pt|experiência}}
• {{Lang|tet|familia}} – 'family', from {{Lang|pt|família}}
• {{Lang|tet|fízika}} – 'physics', from {{Lang|pt|física}}
• {{Lang|tet|forsa}} – 'force', from {{Lang|pt|força}}
• {{Lang|tet|froñas}} – 'pillowcases', from {{Lang|pt|fronhas}}
• {{Lang|tet|gitarrista}} – 'guitarist', from {{Lang|pt|guitarrista}}
• {{Lang|tet|governu}} – 'government', from {{Lang|pt|governo}}
• {{Lang|tet|ideia}} – 'idea'
• {{Lang|tet|igreja}} – 'church'
• {{Lang|tet|imposivel}} – 'impossible', from {{Lang|pt|impossível}}
• {{Lang|tet|istória}} – 'history', from {{Lang|pt|história}}
• {{Lang|tet|jerasaun}} – 'generation', from {{Lang|pt|geração}}
• {{Lang|tet|kafé}} – 'coffee', from {{Lang|pt|café}}
• {{Lang|tet|kaisaun}} – 'coffin', from {{Lang|pt|caixão}}
• {{Lang|tet|keiju}} – 'cheese', from {{Lang|pt|queijo}}
• {{Lang|tet|kompañia}} – 'company', from {{Lang|pt|companhia}}
• {{Lang|tet|komprende}} – 'understand', from {{Lang|pt|compreender}}
• {{Lang|tet|konsulta}} – 'consultation', from {{Lang|pt|consulta}}
• {{Lang|tet|korrupsaun}} – 'corruption', from {{Lang|pt|corrupção}}
• {{Lang|tet|kuandu}} – 'when', from {{Lang|pt|quando}}
• {{Lang|tet|mensajen}} – 'message', from {{Lang|pt|mensagem}}
• {{Lang|tet|menus}} – 'less', from {{Lang|pt|menos}}
• {{Lang|tet|milagre}} – 'miracle'
• {{Lang|tet|mundu}} – 'world', from {{Lang|pt|mundo}}
• {{Lang|tet|múzika}} – 'music', from {{Lang|pt|música}}
• {{Lang|tet|Natál}} – 'Christmas', from {{Lang|pt|Natal}}
• {{Lang|tet|obrigadu/a}} – 'thanks', from {{Lang|pt|obrigado/a}}
• {{Lang|tet|organizasaun}} – 'organization', from {{Lang|pt|organização}}
• {{Lang|tet|pasadu}} – 'past', from {{Lang|pt|passado}}
• {{Lang|tet|pasaporte}} – 'passport', from {{Lang|pt|passaporte}}
• {{Lang|tet|paun}} – 'bread', from {{Lang|pt|pão}}
• {{Lang|tet|pergunta}} – 'question'
• {{Lang|tet|polísia}} – 'police', from {{Lang|pt|polícia}}
• {{Lang|tet|povu}} – 'people', from {{Lang|pt|povo}}
• {{Lang|tet|prezidente}} – 'president', from {{Lang|pt|presidente}}
• {{Lang|tet|profesór}} – 'teacher', from {{Lang|pt|professor}}
• {{Lang|tet|profisaun}} – 'profession', from {{Lang|pt|profissão}}
• {{Lang|tet|relijiaun}} – 'religion', from {{Lang|pt|religião}}
• {{Lang|tet|semana}} – 'week'
• {{Lang|tet|serbisu}} – 'work', from {{Lang|pt|serviço}}
• {{Lang|tet|serveja}} – 'beer', from {{Lang|pt|cerveja}}
• {{Lang|tet|teknolojia}} – 'technology', from {{Lang|pt|tecnologia}}
• {{Lang|tet|televizaun}} – 'television', from {{Lang|pt|televisão}}
• {{Lang|tet|tenke}} – 'must', from {{Lang|pt|tem que}}
• {{Lang|tet|tendénsia}} – 'tendency', from {{Lang|pt|tendência}}
• {{Lang|tet|terrorizmu}} – 'terrorism', from {{Lang|pt|terrorismo}}
• {{Lang|tet|xefe}} – 'chief', from {{Lang|pt|chefe}}

Image:Kursu portuges 5.jpg', 'usa' and 'abusa'."]]

As a result of Bazaar Malay being a regional lingua franca and of Indonesian being a working language, many words are derived from Malay, including:

• {{Lang|tet|atus}} 'hundred', from {{Lang|ms|ratus}}
• {{Lang|tet|barak}} 'much', from {{Lang|ms|banyak}}
• {{Lang|tet|bele}} 'can', from {{Lang|ms|boleh}}
• {{Lang|tet|besi}} 'iron', from {{Lang|ms|besi}}
• {{Lang|tet|udan}} 'rain', from {{Lang|ms|hujan}}
• {{Lang|tet|dalan}} 'way' or 'road', from {{Lang|ms|jalan}}
• {{Lang|tet|fatu(k)}} 'stone', from {{Lang|ms|batu}}
• {{Lang|tet|fulan}} 'moon' or 'month' from {{Lang|ms|bulan}}
• {{Lang|tet|malae}} 'foreigner', from {{Lang|ms|melayu}} 'Malay'
• {{Lang|tet|manas}} 'hot', from {{Lang|ms|panas}}
• {{Lang|tet|rihun}} 'thousand', from {{Lang|ms|ribu}}
• {{Lang|tet|sala}} 'wrong', from {{Lang|ms|salah}}
• {{Lang|tet|tulun}} 'help', from {{Lang|ms|tolong}}
• {{Lang|tet|dapur}} 'kitchen', from {{Lang|ms|dapur}}
• {{Lang|tet|uma}} 'house', from {{Lang|ms|rumah}}

In addition, as a legacy of Indonesian rule, other words of Malay origin have entered Tetum, through Indonesian.

• {{Lang|tet|ida}} 'one'
• {{Lang|tet|rua}} 'two'
• {{Lang|tet|tolu}} 'three'
• {{Lang|tet|haat}} 'four'
• {{Lang|tet|lima}} 'five'
• {{Lang|tet|neen}} 'six'
• {{Lang|tet|hitu}} 'seven'
• {{Lang|tet|ualu}} 'eight'
• {{Lang|tet|sia}} 'nine'
• {{Lang|tet|sanulu}} 'ten'
• {{Lang|tet|ruanulu}} 'twenty'

However, Tetum speakers often use Malay/Indonesian or Portuguese numbers instead, such as {{Lang|tet|delapan}} or {{Lang|tet|oito}} 'eight' instead of {{Lang|tet|ualu}}, especially for numbers over one thousand.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Tetum has many hybrid words, which are combinations of indigenous and Portuguese words. These often include an indigenous Tetum verb, with a Portuguese suffix -dór (similar to '-er'). For example:

• {{Lang|tet|han}} ('to eat') {{Lang|tet|handór}} – glutton
• {{Lang|tet|hemu}} ('to drink') {{Lang|tet|hemudór}} – heavy drinker
• {{Lang|tet|hateten}} ('to say') {{Lang|tet|hatetendór}} – chatterbox, talkative person
• {{Lang|tet|sisi}} ('to nag, pester') {{Lang|tet|sisidór}} – nag, pest

• {{Lang|tet|Bondia}} – 'Good morning' (from Portuguese {{Lang|ms|Bom dia}}).
• {{Lang|tet|Di'ak ka lae?}} – 'How are you?' (literally 'Are you well or not?')
• {{Lang|tet|Ha'u di'ak}} – 'I'm fine.'
• {{Lang|tet|Obrigadu/Obrigada}} – 'Thank you', said by a male/female (from Portuguese {{Lang|ms|Obrigado/Obrigada}}).
• {{Lang|tet|Ita bele ko'alia Tetun?}} – 'Do you speak Tetum?'
• {{Lang|tet|Loos}} – 'Right'
• {{Lang|tet|Lae}} – 'No.'
• {{Lang|tet|Ha'u'}} [{{Lang|tet|la}}] {{Lang|tet|komprende}} – 'I [do not] understand' (from Portuguese {{Lang|ms|compreender}}).

{{Cite book |url=http://sealang.net/archives/pl/pdf/PL-528.pdf |title=Tetun Dili: A grammar of an East Timorese language |last1=Williams-van Klinken |first1=Catharina |last2=Hajek |first2=John |last3=Nordlinger |first3=Rachel |date=2002 |publisher=Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University |isbn=0858835096 |location=Canberra |doi=10.15144/pl-528 |hdl=1885/146149 |hdl-access=free}}

{{interlinear|number=(1)

|Hau rona asu hatenu

|1S hear dog barking

|"I hear the dog barking"|lang=tet}}

{{interlinear|number=(2)

|Nia sosa sigaru

|3S buys cigarettes

|"He/She buys cigarettes"|lang=tet}}

{{interlinear|number=(3)

|Ita rona rádiu?

|1PL hearing radio

|"Are we hearing a radio?"|lang=tet}}

{{interlinear

| number = (4)|Sira moris hotu ka?|3PL alive all ?|"Are they all alive?"

| lang = tet

}}

A common occurrence is to use titles such as {{Lang|tet|Senhora}} for a woman or names rather than pronouns when addressing people.

{{interlinear|number=(1)

|Senhora mai hori bain-hira?

|Mrs come PAST when

|"When did you arrive?"|lang=tet}}

The second person singular pronoun {{Lang|tet|Ó}} is used generally with children, friends or family, while with strangers or people of higher social status, {{Lang|tet|Ita}} or {{Lang|tet|Ita boot}} is used.{{Cite journal |last1=Williams-van Klinken |first1=Catharina |last2=Hajek |first2=John |date=2006 |title=Patterns of address in Dili Tetum, East Timor |url=https://benjamins.com/catalog/aral.29.2.06wil/fulltext |journal=Australian Review of Applied Linguistics |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=21.1–21.18 |doi=10.2104/aral0621|doi-access=free }}

{{interlinear|number=(1)

|Nina, Ó iha nebee?

|Nina 2S.FAM LOC where

|"Nina, where are you?"|lang=tet}}

The plural is not normally marked on nouns, but the word {{Lang|tet|sira}} 'they' can express it when necessary.

:{{Lang|tet|feto}} 'woman/women' → {{Lang|tet|feto sira}} 'women'

However, the plural ending -s of nouns of Portuguese origin is sometimes retained.

:{{Lang|tet|Estadus Unidus}} – United States (from {{Lang|ms|Estados Unidos}})

:{{Lang|tet|Nasoens Unidas}} – United Nations (from {{Lang|ms|Nações Unidas}})

Tetum has an optional indefinite article {{Lang|tet|ida}} ('one'), used after nouns:

:{{Lang|tet|labarik ida}} – a child

There is no definite article, but the demonstratives {{Lang|tet|ida-ne'e}} ('this one') and {{Lang|tet|ida-ne'ebá}} ('that one') may be used to express definiteness:

:{{Lang|tet|labarik ida-ne'e}} – this child, the child

:{{Lang|tet|labarik ida-ne'ebá}} – that child, the child

In the plural, {{Lang|tet|sira-ne'e}} ('these') or {{Lang|tet|sira-ne'ebá}} ('those') are used:

:{{Lang|tet|labarik sira-ne'e}} – these children, the children

:{{Lang|tet|labarik sira-ne'ebá}} – those children, the children

The particle {{Lang|tet|nia}} forms the inalienable possessive, and can be used in a similar way to 's in English, e.g.:

:{{Lang|tet|João nia uma}} – 'João's house'

:{{Lang|tet|Cristina nia livru}} – 'Cristina's book'

When the possessor is postposed, representing alienable possession, {{Lang|tet|nia}} becomes {{Lang|tet|nian}}:

:{{Lang|tet|povu Timór Lorosa'e nian}} – the people of East Timor

Like other Austronesian languages, Tetum has two forms of we, {{Lang|tet|ami}} (equivalent to Malay {{Lang|ms|kami}}) which is exclusive, e.g. "I and they", and {{Lang|tet|ita}} (equivalent to Malay {{Lang|ms|kita}}), which is inclusive, e.g. "you, I, and they".

:{{Lang|tet|ami-nia karreta}} – 'our [family's] car'

:{{Lang|tet|ita-nia rain}} – 'our country'

Nouns derived from verbs or adjectives are usually formed with affixes, for example the suffix -na'in, similar to "-er" in English.

:{{Lang|tet|hakerek}} 'write' → {{Lang|tet|hakerek-na'in}} 'writer'

The suffix -na'in can also be used with nouns, in the sense of 'owner'.

:{{Lang|tet|uma}} 'house' → {{Lang|tet|uma-na'in}} 'householder'

In more traditional forms of Tetum, the circumfix ma(k)- -k is used instead of -na'in. For example, the nouns 'sinner' or 'wrongdoer' can be derived from the word {{Lang|tet|sala}} as either {{Lang|tet|maksalak}}, or {{Lang|tet|sala-na'in}}. Only the prefix ma(k)- is used when the root word ends with a consonant; for example, the noun 'cook' or 'chef' can be derived from the word {{Lang|tet|te'in}} as {{Lang|tet|makte'in}} as well as {{Lang|tet|te'in-na'in}}.

The suffix -teen (from the word for 'dirt' or 'excrement') can be used with adjectives to form derogatory terms:

:{{Lang|tet|bosok}} 'false' → {{Lang|tet|bosok-teen}} 'liar'

To turn a noun into a nominalised adjective, the word {{Lang|tet|oan}} ('person, child, associated object') is added to it.

:{{Lang|tet|malae}} 'foreigner' → {{Lang|tet|malae-oan}} 'foreign'

Thus, 'Timorese person' is {{Lang|tet|Timor-oan}}, as opposed to the country of Timor, {{Lang|tet|rai-Timor}}.

To form adjectives and actor nouns from verbs, the suffix -dór (derived from Portuguese) can be added:

:{{Lang|tet|hateten}} 'tell' → {{Lang|tet|hatetendór}} 'talkative'

Tetum does not have separate masculine and feminine gender, hence {{Lang|tet|nia}} (similar to {{Lang|ms|ia}}/{{Lang|ms|dia}}/{{Lang|ms|nya}} in Malay) can mean either 'he', 'she' or 'it'.

Different forms for the genders only occur in Portuguese-derived adjectives, hence {{Lang|tet|obrigadu}} ('thank you') is used by men, and {{Lang|tet|obrigada}} by women. The masculine and feminine forms of other adjectives derived from Portuguese are sometimes used with Portuguese loanwords, particularly by Portuguese-educated speakers of Tetum.

:{{Lang|tet|governu demokrátiku}} – 'democratic government' (from {{Lang|pt|governo democrático}}, masculine)

:{{Lang|tet|nasaun demokrátika}} – 'democratic nation' (from {{Lang|pt|nação democrática}}, feminine)

In some instances, the different gender forms have distinct translations into English:

:{{Lang|tet|bonitu}} – 'handsome'

:{{Lang|tet|bonita}} – 'pretty'

In indigenous Tetum words, the suffixes {{Lang|ms|-mane}} ('male') and {{Lang|ms|-feto}} ('female') are sometimes used to differentiate between the genders:

:{{Lang|tet|oan-mane}} 'son' → {{Lang|tet|oan-feto}} 'daughter'

Superlatives can be formed from adjectives by reduplication:

:{{Lang|tet|barak}} 'much, many' → {{Lang|tet|babarak}} 'very much, many'

:{{Lang|tet|boot}} 'big, great' → {{Lang|tet|boboot}} 'huge, enormous'

:{{Lang|tet|di'ak}} 'good' → {{Lang|tet|didi'ak}} 'very good'

:{{Lang|tet|ikus}} 'last' → {{Lang|tet|ikuikus}} 'the very last, final'

:{{Lang|tet|moos}} 'clean, clear' → {{Lang|tet|momoos}} 'spotless, immaculate'

When making comparisons, the word {{Lang|tet|liu}} ('more') is used after the adjective, optionally followed by {{Lang|tet|duké}} ('than' from Portuguese {{Lang|pt|do que}}):

:{{Lang|tet|Maria tuan liu (duké) Ana}} — Maria is older than Ana.

To describe something as the most or least, the word {{Lang|tet|hotu}} ('all') is added:

:{{Lang|tet|Maria tuan liu hotu}} — Maria is the oldest.

Adverbs can be formed from adjectives or nouns by reduplication:

:{{Lang|tet|di'ak}} 'good' → {{Lang|tet|didi'ak}} 'well'

:{{Lang|tet|foun}} 'new, recent' → {{Lang|tet|foufoun}} 'newly, recently'

:{{Lang|tet|kalan}} 'night' → {{Lang|tet|kalakalan}} 'nightly'

:{{Lang|tet|lais}} 'quick' → {{Lang|tet|lailais}} 'quickly'

:{{Lang|tet|loron}} 'day' → {{Lang|tet|loroloron}} 'daily'

The most commonly used prepositions in Tetum are the verbs {{Lang|tet|iha}} ('have', 'possess', 'specific locative') and {{Lang|tet|baa/ba}} ('go', 'to', 'for'). Most prepostional concepts of English are expressed by nominal phrases formed by using {{Lang|tet|iha}}, the object and the position (expressed by a noun),optionally with the possessive {{Lang|tet|nia}}.

:{{Lang|tet|iha uma (nia) laran}} — ' inside the house'

:{{Lang|tet|iha foho (nia) tutun}} — ' on top of the mountain'

:{{Lang|tet|iha meza leten}} — ' on the table'

:{{Lang|tet|iha kadeira okos}} — ' under the chair'

:{{Lang|tet|iha rai li'ur}} — ' outside the country'

:{{Lang|tet|iha ema (nia) leet}} — ' between the people'

There is no verb to be as such, but the word {{Lang|tet|la'ós}}, which translates as 'not to be', is used for negation:

:{{Lang|tet|Timor-oan sira la'ós Indonézia-oan.}} — 'The Timorese are not Indonesians.'

The word {{Lang|tet|maka}}, which roughly translates as 'who is' or 'what is', can be used with fronted phrases for focusing/ emphasis:

:{{Lang|tet|João maka gosta serveja.}} — 'It's John who likes beer.'

The interrogative is formed by using the words {{Lang|tet|ka}} ('or') or {{Lang|tet|ka lae}} ('or not').

:{{Lang|tet|O bulak ka?}} — 'Are you crazy?'

:{{Lang|tet|O gosta ha'u ka lae?}} — 'Do you like me?'

Transitive verbs are formed by adding the prefix ha- or hak- to a noun or adjective:

:{{Lang|tet|been}} 'liquid' → {{Lang|tet|habeen}} 'to liquify, to melt'

:{{Lang|tet|bulak}} 'mad' → {{Lang|tet|habulak}} 'to drive mad'

:{{Lang|tet|klibur}} 'union' → {{Lang|tet|haklibur}} 'to unite'

:{{Lang|tet|mahon}} 'shade' → {{Lang|tet|hamahon}} 'to shade, to cover'

:{{Lang|tet|manas}} 'hot' → {{Lang|tet|hamanas}} 'to heat up'

Intransitive verbs are formed by adding the prefix na- or nak- to a noun or adjective:

:{{Lang|tet|nabeen}} — '(to be) liquified, melted'

:{{Lang|tet|nabulak}} — '(to be) driven mad'

:{{Lang|tet|naklibur}} — '(to be) united'

:{{Lang|tet|namahon}} — '(to be) shaded, covered'

:{{Lang|tet|namanas}} — '(to become) heated up'

In {{Lang|tet|Tetun-Terik}}, verbs inflect when they begin with a vowel or consonant h. In this case mutation of the first consonant occurs. For example, the verb {{Lang|tet|haree}} ('see') in {{Lang|tet|Tetun-Terik}} would be conjugated as follows:

:{{Lang|tet|ha'u karee}} — 'I see'

:{{Lang|tet|ó maree}} — 'you (sing.) see'

:{{Lang|tet|nia naree}} — 'he/she/it sees'

:{{Lang|tet|ami haree}} — 'we see'

:{{Lang|tet|imi haree}} — 'you (pl.) see'

:{{Lang|tet|sira raree}} — 'they see'

Whenever possible, the past tense is simply inferred from the context, for example:

:{{Lang|tet|Horisehik ha'u han etu}} – 'Yesterday I ate rice.'

However, it can be expressed by placing the adverb {{Lang|tet|ona}} ('already') at the end of a sentence.

:{{Lang|tet|Ha'u han etu ona}} – 'I've (already) eaten rice.'

When {{Lang|tet|ona}} is used with {{Lang|tet|la}} ('not') this means 'no more' or 'no longer', rather than 'have not':

:{{Lang|tet|Ha'u la han etu ona}} – 'I don't eat rice anymore.'

In order to convey that an action has not occurred, the word {{Lang|tet|seidauk}} ('not yet') is used:

:{{Lang|tet|Ha'u seidauk han etu}} – 'I haven't eaten rice (yet).'

When relating an action that occurred in the past, the word {{Lang|tet|tiha}} ('finally' or 'well and truly') is used with the verb.

:{{Lang|tet|Ha'u han tiha etu}} – 'I ate rice.'

The future tense is formed by placing the word {{Lang|tet|sei}} ('will') before a verb:

:{{Lang|tet|Ha'u sei fó hahán ba sira}} – 'I will give them food.'

The negative is formed by adding {{Lang|tet|la}} ('not') between {{Lang|tet|sei}} and the verb:

:{{Lang|tet|Ha'u sei la fó hahán ba sira}} – 'I will not give them food.'

The perfect aspect can be formed by using {{Lang|tet|tiha ona}}.

:{{Lang|tet|Ha'u han etu tiha ona}} – 'I have eaten rice / I ate rice.'

When negated, {{Lang|tet|tiha ona}} indicates that an action ceased to occur:

:{{Lang|tet|Ha'u la han etu tiha ona}} – 'I didn't eat rice anymore.'

In order to convey that a past action had not or never occurred, the word {{Lang|tet|ladauk}} ('not yet' or 'never') is used:

:{{Lang|tet|Ha'u ladauk han etu}} – 'I didn't eat rice / I hadn't eaten rice.'

The progressive aspect can be obtained by placing the word {{Lang|tet|hela}} ('stay') after a verb:

:{{Lang|tet|Sira serbisu hela.}} – 'They're (still) working.'

The imperative mood is formed using the word {{Lang|tet|ba}} ('go') at the end of a sentence, hence:

:{{Lang|tet|Lee surat ba!}} – 'Read the letter!'

The word {{Lang|tet|lai}} ('just' or 'a bit') may also be used when making a request rather than a command:

:{{Lang|tet|Lee surat lai}} – 'Just read the letter.'

When forbidding an action {{Lang|tet|labele}} ('cannot') or {{Lang|tet|keta}} ('do not') are used:

:{{Lang|tet|Labele fuma iha ne'e!}} – 'Don't smoke here!'

:{{Lang|tet|Keta oho sira!}} – 'Don't kill them!'

{{See also|Tetum alphabet}}

The influence of Portuguese and to a lesser extent Malay/Indonesian on the phonology of Tetun has been extensive.

In the Tetum language, {{IPA|/a/}}, {{IPA|/i/}} and {{IPA|/u/}} tend to have relatively fixed sounds. However {{IPA|/e/}} and {{IPA|/o/}} vary according to the environment they are placed in, for instance the sound is slightly higher if the proceeding syllable is {{IPA|/u/}} or {{IPA|/i/}}.Hull, Geoffrey. (1999). Tetum, Language Manual for East Timor. Academy of East Timor Studies, Faculty of Education & Languages, University of Western Sydney Macathur.

All consonants appearing in parentheses are used only in loanwords.

Stops: All stops in Tetum are un-aspirated, meaning an expulsion of breath is absent. In contrast, English stops, namely 'p' 't' and 'k' are generally aspirated.

Fricatives:

{{IPA|/v/}} is an unstable voiced labio-dental fricative and tends to alternate with or is replaced by {{IPA|/b/}}; e.g. {{IPA|[aˈvoː]}} – {{IPA|[aˈboː]}} meaning 'grandparent.'

As Tetum did not have any official recognition or support under either Portuguese or Indonesian rule, it is only recently that a standardised orthography has been established by the {{ill|National Institute of Linguistics|tet|Institutu Nasionál Linguístika|pt|Instituto Nacional de Linguística}} (INL). The standard orthography devised by the institute was declared official by Government Decree 1/2004 of 14 April 2004.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mj.gov.tl/jornal/public/docs/2002_2005/decreto_governo/1_2004.pdf |title=Governo Decreto no. 1/2004 de 14 de Abril "O Padrão Ortográfico da Língua Tétum"}} However, there are still widespread variations in spelling, one example being the word {{Lang|tet|bainhira}} or 'when', which has also been written as {{Lang|tet|bain-hira}}, {{Lang|tet|wainhira}}, {{Lang|tet|waihira}}, {{Lang|tet|uaihira}}. The use of {{grapheme|w}} or {{grapheme|u}} is a reflection of the pronunciation in some rural dialects of Tetun-Terik.

The current orthography originates from the spelling reforms undertaken by Fretilin in 1974, when it launched literacy campaigns across East Timor, and also from the system used by the Catholic Church when it adopted Tetum as its liturgical language during the Indonesian occupation. These involved the transcription of many Portuguese words that were formerly written in their original spelling, for example, {{Lang|pt|educação}} → {{Lang|tet|edukasaun}} 'education', and {{Lang|pt|colonialismo}} → {{Lang|tet|kolonializmu}} 'colonialism'.

Reforms suggested by the International Committee for the Development of East Timorese Languages (IACDETL) in 1996 included the replacement of the digraphs nh (digraph) and lh (digraph) (borrowed from Portuguese, where they stand for the phonemes {{IPA|/ɲ/}} and {{IPA|/ʎ/}}) with {{grapheme|n̄}} and {{grapheme|l̄}} , respectively (as in certain Basque orthographies), to avoid confusion with the consonant clusters {{IPA|/nh/}} and {{IPA|/lh/}}, which also occur in Tetum. Thus, {{Lang|tet|senhor}} 'sir' became {{Lang|tet|sen̄ór}}, and {{Lang|tet|trabalhador}} 'worker' became {{Lang|tet|trabal̄adór}}. Later, as adopted by IACDETL and approved by the INL in 2002, {{grapheme|n̄}} and {{grapheme|l̄}} were replaced by ñ}} and ll}} (as in Spanish). Thus, {{Lang|tet|sen̄ór}} 'sir' became {{Lang|tet|señór}}, and {{Lang|tet|trabal̄adór}} 'worker' became {{Lang|tet|traballadór}}. Some linguists favoured using ny (digraph) (as in Catalan and Filipino) and ly (digraph) for these sounds, but the latter spellings were rejected for being similar to the Indonesian system, and most speakers actually pronounce ñ and ll as {{IPA|[i̯n]}} and {{IPA|[i̯l]}}, respectively, with a semivowel {{IPA|[i̯]}} which forms a diphthong with the preceding vowel (but reduced to {{IPA|[n]}}, {{IPA|[l]}} after {{IPA|/i/}}), not as the palatal consonants of Portuguese and Spanish. Thus, {{Lang|tet|señór}}, {{Lang|tet|traballadór}} are pronounced {{IPA|[sei̯ˈnoɾ]}}, {{IPA|[tɾabai̯laˈdoɾ]}}, and {{Lang|tet|liña}}, {{Lang|tet|kartilla}} are pronounced {{IPA|[ˈlina]}}, {{IPA|[kaɾˈtila]}}. As a result, some writers use {{grapheme|in}} and {{grapheme|il}} instead, for example {{Lang|tet|Juinu}} and {{Lang|tet|Juilu}} for June and July ({{Lang|pt|Junho}} and {{Lang|pt|Julho}} in Portuguese).

As well as variations in the transliteration of Portuguese loanwords, there are also variations in the spelling of indigenous words. These include the use of double vowels and the apostrophe for the glottal stop, for example {{Lang|tet|boot}} → {{Lang|tet|bot}} 'large' and {{Lang|tet|ki'ik}} → {{Lang|tet|kiik}} 'small'.

The sound {{IPA|[z]}}, which is not indigenous to Tetum but appears in many loanwords from Portuguese and Malay, often changed to {{IPA|[s]}} in old Tetum and to {{IPA|[ʒ]}} (written {{grapheme|j}}) in the speech of young speakers: for example, {{Lang|tet|meja}} 'table' from Portuguese {{Lang|pt|mesa}}, and {{Lang|tet|kamija}} 'shirt' from Portuguese {{Lang|pt|camisa}}. In the sociolect of Tetum that is still used by the generation educated during the Indonesian occupation, {{IPA|[z]}} and {{IPA|[ʒ]}} may occur in free variation. For instance, the Portuguese-derived word {{Lang|tet|ezemplu}} 'example' is pronounced {{IPA|[eˈʒemplu]}} by some speakers, and conversely {{Lang|tet|Janeiru}} 'January' is pronounced {{IPA|[zanˈeiru]}}. The sound {{IPA|[v]}}, also not native to the language, often shifted to {{IPA|[b]}}, as in {{Lang|tet|serbisu}} 'work' from Portuguese {{Lang|pt|serviço}} (also note that a modern INL convention promotes the use of {{Lang|tet|serbisu}} for 'work' and {{Lang|tet|servisu}} for 'service').

{{Portal|Asia|Indonesia|Languages}}

{{InterWiki|code=tet}}

• Languages of East Timor
• The Lord's Prayer in Tetum at Wikisource

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080119191225/http://www.asianlang.mq.edu.au/INL/ National Institute of Linguistics, National University of East Timor (Archived)] includes several bilingual Tetum dictionaries, and articles about Tetum
• Hull, Geoffrey, Standard Tetum-English Dictionary 2nd Ed, Allen & Unwin Publishers {{ISBN|978-1-86508-599-9}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081029092640/http://www.timor-leste.gov.tl/AboutTimorleste/rellang.htm Official Web Gateway to the Government of Timor-Leste – Religion & Language]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927042437/http://www.asianlang.mq.edu.au/INL/orthhist.pdf The standard orthography of the Tetum language] (PDF)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070829032238/http://www.asianlang.mq.edu.au/INL/matadalan.pdf Matadalan Ortografiku ba Lia-Tetun] - Tetum Spelling Guide
• [http://tetum.dleiris.com Damien LEIRIS - Personal approach of the Tetum language] (PDF)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060828032902/http://www.uc.pt/timor/language.htm Colonization, Decolonization and Integration: Language Policies in East Timor, Indonesia, by Nancy Melissa Lutz]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080119191225/http://www.asianlang.mq.edu.au/INL/speech1.html Current Language Issues in East Timor (Dr. Geoffrey Hull)]
• {{Cite book |url=http://sealang.net/archives/pl/pdf/PL-C155.pdf |title=A grammar of the Fehan dialect of Tetun, an Austronesian language of West Timor |last=Van Klinken |first=Catharina |date=1999 |publisher=Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University |isbn=0858835142 |location=Canberra |doi=10.15144/PL-C155}}
• {{Cite journal |last=Hull |first=Geoffrey |date=1998 |title=The Languages of Timor 1772-1997: A Literature Review |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316241260 |journal=Estudos de Linguas e Culturas de Timor Leste (Studies in Languages and Cultures of East Timor) |volume=1 |pages=1–38}}
• {{Cite thesis |last=Ross |first=Melody A. |title=Attitudes toward Tetun Dili, A Language of East Timor. |date=2017 |degree=phd |publisher=University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/62504/1/2017-12-phd-ross.pdf |hdl=10125/62504 |hdl-access=free }}

{{Wikibooks|Tetum}}

• Peace Corps East Timor Tetun Language Manual ([https://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps/Tetun/Peace%20Corps%20Tetun.pdf 2011, 2nd edition]; [http://www.tetundit.tl/Publications/PC%20Tetun%20-%20Ed%203.pdf 2015, 3rd edition])
• [http://www.tetundit.tl/courses.html Intensive Tetun language courses at Dili Institute of Technology]
• Pictures from a Portuguese language course, using Tetum, published in the East Timorese newspaper Lia Foun in Díli (from Wikimedia Commons)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20040420081929/http://vcsymposium.massey.ac.nz/presenters/presentations/Newman/www/Tetun/home.html Tetun] website with sound files
• [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/ling/stories/s476770.htm Teach yourself Tetum...] an interview with some information on the history of Tetum
• [http://www.tetundit.tl/index.html Wordfinder (Tetun/English minidictionary)] and other publications available from Dili
• [http://tetum.dleiris.com Damien LEIRIS - Personal approach of the Tetum language] (PDF)
• [http://timor.leste.tetum.free.fr/index_uk.php Tetun dictionary]
• [http://babelang.free.fr/community/dictionary.php?word=house&lang_from=English&lang_into=Tetun Tetum illustrated dictionary]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130419232613/http://dit.tl/ Dili Institute of Technology] Institute of Technology website
• [https://www.gnu.org/software/tetum/contributors/cliffMorris-xhtml/index.html A Traveller's Dictionary in Tetun-English and English-Tetun] includes some information on grammar, based on the Tetun-Terik dialect
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20011206060726/http://laurel.ocs.mq.edu.au/~leccles/easttimor.html Sebastião Aparício da Silva Project for the Protection and Promotion of East Timorese Languages]
• [http://www.suara-timor-lorosae.com/ Suara Timor Lorosae Daily newspaper in Tetum and Indonesian]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070224124631/http://www.semanario.tp/nacional%20tetum.htm Jornal Nacional Semanário Tetum page]
• [http://www.1000dictionaries.com/tetum_dictionaries_1.html Tetum dictionaries] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201023117/http://www.1000dictionaries.com/tetum_dictionaries_1.html |date=2008-02-01 }}
• [http://www.tetundit.tl/index.html Tetun 1, Tetun 2] Tetun writing courses for East Timorese university students, by Catharina Williams-van Klinken, Dili Institute of Technology
• [http://visiteasttimor.com/good-to-know/talk-tetum-in-timor/ Talk Tetum in Timor] VisitEastTimor.com Travel Guide help you to talk in East Timor
• Robert Blust's field notes on Tetun are archived with Kaipuleohone
• {{cite journal |last1=Kroon |first1=Sjaak |last2=Kurvers |first2=Jeanne |title=Language use, language attitudes and identity in the East Timorese diaspora in the Netherlands |journal=Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development |date=2020 |volume=41 |issue=5 |pages=444–456 |doi=10.1080/01434632.2019.1657872 |s2cid=203062214 |doi-access=free }}

{{Central Malayo-Polynesian languages}}

{{Languages of East Timor}}

{{Languages of Indonesia}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Languages of Timor-Leste

Category:Languages of Indonesia

Category:Timor–Babar languages

Category:Subject–verb–object languages