Batak

Batak
/beuh tahk", bah-/, n., pl. Bataks, (esp. collectively) Batak for 1, 2.
1. a member of a group of people chiefly inhabiting north-central Sumatra.
2. a member of a group of mountain-dwelling people of northeastern Palawan in the Philippines.
3. either of the Austronesian languages spoken by the Batak peoples.

* * *

Any member of any of several closely related ethnic groups of central Sumatra, Indon.

The Batak are descendants of a powerful Proto-Malayan people who until 1825 lived in relative isolation in the highlands surrounding Lake Toba in Sumatra. They have their own written language. In their traditional religion, ancestors, plants, animals, and inanimate objects are considered to possess souls or spirits; today about a third of the 3.1 million Batak adhere to traditional beliefs, while the rest profess Christianity or Islam.

* * *

people
also spelled  Battak, or Batta  

      several closely related ethnic groups of central Sumatra, Indonesia. They possess a written language, consisting of several diverse dialects, belonging to the Austronesian family. The Batak are descendants of a powerful Proto-Malayan people who until 1825 lived in relative isolation in the highlands surrounding Lake Toba (Toba, Lake) in Sumatra.

      By the 2nd or 3rd century AD, Indian ideas regarding government, writing, elements of religion, arts, and crafts had begun to influence the Batak. They did not, however, develop a unified state and today are found in six cultural divisions. Within these are exogamous patrilineal clans known as marga. They practice a form of bridewealth, in which a husband's family gives gifts and services to the wife's family; once a particular proportion of the agreed-upon gifts is reached, the bride becomes an official member of her husband's group. Among the Toba Batak a village consists of several clan houses, but in the Karo division all dwell in one or more longhouses.

      Ancestors, plants, animals, and inanimate objects are considered to possess souls or spirits that can be coerced or enticed by male priests. These priests are aided by female mediums who, in trance, communicate with the dead. Cannibalism was once practiced, but victims were confined to prisoners and those guilty of incest.

      Today most of the Toba Batak are literate, and many occupy places of importance in trade and in the Indonesian government. Muslim and Christian missionaries have been active in regions to the north and south of the Toba. In the late 20th century the estimated population of Batak lands was about 3,100,000, of which about one-third were Christian, one-third Muslim, and the balance adherents of traditional beliefs.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Batak — may refer to: Ethnic groups * Batak (Indonesia) ** Batak languages ** Batak alphabet ** Marga (Batak) (Batak s family name) * Batak (Philippines) Locations * Batak, Bulgaria ** Batak Dam * Batak Rabit Other * Batak massacre * Batak Pony * Huria… …   Wikipedia

  • Batak — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Vivienda típica Batak Los Batak son uno de los pueblos de Indonesia. Su área central está en el norte de Sumatra con centro en el Lago Toba. Antes de su pacificación bajo el gobierno colonial holandés de las Indias… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Batak — Batak, s. Batta …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • batak — bȁtāk m <N mn āci> DEFINICIJA 1. dio između dvaju glavnih donjih nožnih zglobova u peradi, ptica, žaba (dio za jelo) 2. (ob. mn) žarg. ženska noga [dobri bataci] ETIMOLOGIJA tur. bacak: noga, v. badžak …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • Batak — Puppenspieler der Toba Batak Die Batak sind eine Volksgruppe im Norden der indonesischen Insel Sumatra. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Ethnie und Geschichte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Batak — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Batak peut désigner : Sommaire 1 Ethnologie 2 Linguistique …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Batak — Los Batak son uno de los pueblos de Indonesia. Su área central está en el norte de Sumatra con centro en el Lago Toba. Antes de su pacificación bajo el gobierno colonial holandés de las Indias orientales, los Batak eran conocidos como fieros… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Batak — Bạtak,   1) Bewohner des zentralen Nordsumatra, um den Tobasee, in die Stämme Toba, Karo, Dairi u. a. gegliedert, 1990 auf etwa 4 Mio. Menschen geschätzt. Die Batak sind eines der größten altindonesischen Völker. Die indonesische Grundkultur… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Batak — Original name in latin Batak Name in other language Batak, Батак State code BG Continent/City Europe/Sofia longitude 41.95 latitude 24.21667 altitude 1104 Population 3917 Date 2007 04 05 …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Batak — [ batək] noun (plural same or Bataks) 1》 a member of a people of the northern part of Sumatra in Indonesia. 2》 the Indonesian language of the Batak. Origin the name in Batak …   English new terms dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”